Mapping of Debris Cover with Thematic Indices and Mono-Window Algorithm Over Zemu Glacier in Sikkim Himalaya

Zemu Glacier, a prominent glacier in the eastern Himalayas, remains largely unexplored in various glacier research endeavors. Satellite remote sensing and GIS techniques function as valuable tools for appraising temporal changes in remote glacial terrains that are challenging to reach. The scope of this study explores the distinguished prospective routes of automated mapping of glacial land cover using visible and thermal-infrared (TIR) bands of Landsat series along with the Mono-Window algorithm to calculate Glacial surface temperature (GST) for the spatial distribution of debris cover and Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for slope and aspect. The temporal change analysis of debris-cover portrays more than 50% of the approximate change from the year 1989 to 2022.