{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,29]],"date-time":"2026-03-29T15:49:51Z","timestamp":1774799391428,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,26]],"date-time":"2014-09-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1411689600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"abstract":"<jats:p>We use 124 scenes of TerraSAR\u2013X data that were acquired in 2009 and 2010 to analyse the spatial and temporal variability in surface kinematics of the debris-covered Inylchek Glacier, located in the Tien Shan mountain range in Central Asia. By applying the feature tracking method to the intensity information of the radar data and combining the results from the ascending and descending orbits, we derive the surface velocity field of the glaciated area. Analysing the seasonal variations over the upper part of the Southern Inylchek branch, we find a temperature-related increase in velocity from 25 cm\/d up to 50 cm\/d between spring and summer, with the peak occurring in June. Another prominent velocity peak is observable one month later in the lower part of the Southern Inylchek branch. This area shows generally little motion, with values of approximately 5\u201310 cm\/d over the year, but yields surface kinematics of up to 25 cm\/d during the peak period. Comparisons of the dates of annual glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) of the proglacial Lake Merzbacher suggest that this lower part is directly influenced by the drainage, leading to the observed mini-surge, which has over twice the normal displacement rate. With regard to the GLOF and the related response of Inylchek Glacier, we conclude that X\u2013band radar systems such as TerraSAR\u2013X have a high potential for detecting and characterising small-scale glacial surface kinematic variations and should be considered for future inter-annual glacial monitoring tasks.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/rs6109239","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,26]],"date-time":"2014-09-26T11:27:58Z","timestamp":1411730878000},"page":"9239-9259","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":33,"title":["Estimating Spatial and Temporal Variability in Surface Kinematics of the Inylchek Glacier, Central Asia, using TerraSAR\u2013X Data"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Julia","family":"Neelmeijer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Section 1.4 Remote Sensing, Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mahdi","family":"Motagh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Section 1.4 Remote Sensing, Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hans-Ulrich","family":"Wetzel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Section 1.4 Remote Sensing, Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aizen, V.B., Aizen, E.M., and Kuzmichonok, V.A. (2007). Glaciers and hydrological changes in the Tien Shan: Simulation and prediction. Environ. Res. Lett, 2.","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-9326\/2\/4\/045019"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"328","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gloplacha.2006.07.016","article-title":"Glacier changes in the Tien Shan as determined from topographic and remotely sensed data","volume":"56","author":"Aizen","year":"2007","journal-title":"Glob. Planet. Chang"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gloplacha.2006.07.009","article-title":"Climate change and glacier retreat in northern Tien Shan (Kazakhstan\/Kyrgyzstan) using remote sensing data","volume":"56","author":"Bolch","year":"2007","journal-title":"Glob. Planet. Chang"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gloplacha.2012.12.004","article-title":"Deriving surface motion of mountain glaciers in the Tuomuer-Khan Tengri Mountain Ranges from PALSAR images","volume":"101","author":"Li","year":"2013","journal-title":"Glob. Planet. Chang"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gloplacha.2009.08.002","article-title":"Spatial variability of recent glacier area changes in the Tien Shan Mountains, Central Asia, using Corona (\u223c 1970), Landsat (\u223c 2000), and ALOS (\u223c 2007) satellite data","volume":"71","author":"Narama","year":"2010","journal-title":"Glob. Planet. Chang"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gloplacha.2009.07.001","article-title":"Glacier retreat and climatic variability in the eastern Terskey-Alatoo, inner Tien Shan between the middle of the 19th century and beginning of the 21st century","volume":"69","author":"Kutuzov","year":"2009","journal-title":"Glob. Planet. Chang"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"394","DOI":"10.1109\/TGRS.2008.2009932","article-title":"Glacier Velocity Monitoring by Maximum Likelihood Texture Tracking","volume":"47","author":"Erten","year":"2009","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"372","DOI":"10.1109\/JSTARS.2010.2096200","article-title":"Monitoring Temperate Glacier Displacement by Multi-Temporal TerraSAR-X Images and Continuous GPS Measurements","volume":"4","author":"Fallourd","year":"2011","journal-title":"IEEE J. Sel. Top. Appl. Earth Obs. Remote Sens"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"503","DOI":"10.3189\/S0022143000035115","article-title":"Glacial regime of the highest Tien Shan mountain, Pobeda-Khan Tengry massif","volume":"14","author":"Aizen","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Glaciol"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"87","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-0459.2008.00336.x","article-title":"Post-drainage ice dam response at Lake Merzbacher, Inylchek glacier, Kyrgyzstan","volume":"90","author":"Mayer","year":"2008","journal-title":"Geogr. Ann. Series A Phys. Geogr"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"F04041","DOI":"10.1029\/2010JF001760","article-title":"Spatial and temporal melt variability at Helheim Glacier, East Greenland, and its effect on ice dynamics","volume":"115","author":"Andersen","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.3189\/2014AoG66A001","article-title":"Hazard assessment of glacial lake outburst floods from Kyagar glacier, Karakoram mountains, China","volume":"55","author":"Haemmig","year":"2014","journal-title":"Ann. Glaciol"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2384","DOI":"10.1109\/TGRS.2002.805079","article-title":"Glacier motion estimation using SAR offset-tracking procedures","volume":"40","author":"Strozzi","year":"2002","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-0459.2008.00333.x","article-title":"Sub-debris melt rates on southern Inylchek Glacier, central Tian Shan","volume":"90","author":"Hagg","year":"2008","journal-title":"Geogr. Ann. Series A Phys. Geogr"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.1007\/s11769-997-0072-3","article-title":"Preliminary study on flash floods in Tarim River basin","volume":"7","author":"Wang","year":"1997","journal-title":"Chin. Geogr. Sci"},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Gottschalk, L., Olivry, J.-C., Reed, D., and Rosbjerg, D. (1999). Hydrological Extremes: Understanding, Predicting, Mitigating, IAHS Publisher."},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"171","article-title":"A century of investigations on outbursts of the ice-dammed Lake Merzbacher (central Tien Shan)","volume":"103","author":"Glazirin","year":"2010","journal-title":"Austrian J. Earth Sci"},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"Seyfert, E. (2005). GEO-GOVERNMENT - Wirtschaftliche Innovation durch Geodaten: Vortr\u00e4ge; 25. Wissenschaftlich-Technische Jahrestagung der DGPF, Publikationen der Deutschen Gesellschaft f\u00fcr Photogrammetrie, Fernerkundung und Geoinformation e.V."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"841","DOI":"10.3390\/rs6010841","article-title":"The Inylchek Glacier in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia: Insight on surface kinematics from optical remote sensing imagery","volume":"6","author":"Nobakht","year":"2014","journal-title":"Remote Sens"},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Zech, C., Sch\u00f6ne, T., Neelmeijer, J., Zubovich, A., and Galas, R. (2013, January 1\u20136). Geodetic monitoring networks: GNSS-derived glacier surface velocities at the Global Change Observatory Inylchek (Kyrgyzstan). Potsdam, Germany."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1088\/0266-5611\/14\/4\/001","article-title":"Synthetic aperture radar interferometry","volume":"14","author":"Bamler","year":"1998","journal-title":"Inverse Probl"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"333","DOI":"10.1109\/5.838084","article-title":"Synthetic aperture radar interferometry","volume":"88","author":"Rosen","year":"2000","journal-title":"Proc. IEEE"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1038\/34635","article-title":"Three-dimensional glacial flow and surface elevation measured with radar interferometry","volume":"391","author":"Mohr","year":"1998","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1026","DOI":"10.3189\/002214311796406158","article-title":"Glaciological advances made with interferometric synthetic aperture radar","volume":"56","author":"Joughin","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Glaciol"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2753","DOI":"10.3390\/rs4092753","article-title":"Mapping of ice motion in Antarctica using Synthetic-Aperture Radar data","volume":"4","author":"Mouginot","year":"2012","journal-title":"Remote Sens"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3063","DOI":"10.1029\/2001GL013174","article-title":"The complete (3-D) surface displacement field in the epicentral area of the 1999 MW 7.1 Hector Mine Earthquake, California, from space geodetic observations","volume":"28","author":"Fialko","year":"2001","journal-title":"Geophys. Res. Lett"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.1038\/ngeo1373","article-title":"Stick-slip advance of the Kohat Plateau in Pakistan","volume":"5","author":"Satyabala","year":"2012","journal-title":"Nat. Geosci"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"186","DOI":"10.1109\/LGRS.2013.2251858","article-title":"Postseismic ground deformation following the September 2010, Darfield, New Zealand, earthquake from TerraSAR-X, COSMO-SkyMed, and ALOS InSAR","volume":"11","author":"Motagh","year":"2014","journal-title":"IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1007\/s10346-005-0003-2","article-title":"Survey and monitoring of landslide displacements by means of L-band satellite SAR interferometry","volume":"2","author":"Strozzi","year":"2005","journal-title":"Landslides"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3681","DOI":"10.3390\/rs5083681","article-title":"Slope stability assessment of the Sarcheshmeh Landslide, Northeast Iran, investigated using InSAR and GPS observations","volume":"5","author":"Akbarimehr","year":"2013","journal-title":"Remote Sens"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"657","DOI":"10.1080\/2150704X.2013.782111","article-title":"A TerraSAR-X InSAR study of landslides in southern Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia","volume":"4","author":"Motagh","year":"2013","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Lett"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1567","DOI":"10.1029\/1999GL011283","article-title":"Aseismic inflation of Westdahl Volcano, Alaska, revealed by satellite radar interferometry","volume":"27","author":"Lu","year":"2000","journal-title":"Geophys. Res. Lett"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lundgren, P., Berardino, P., Coltelli, M., Fornaro, G., Lanari, R., Puglisi, G., Sansosti, E., and Tesauro, M. (2003). Coupled magma chamber inflation and sector collapse slip observed with synthetic aperture radar interferometry on Mt. Etna volcano. J. Geophys. Res, 108.","DOI":"10.1029\/2001JB000657"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2062","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2009.05.004","article-title":"Surface deformation time series and source modeling for a volcanic complex system based on satellite wide swath and image mode interferometry: The Lazufre system, central Andes","volume":"113","author":"Anderssohn","year":"2009","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1061","DOI":"10.3189\/002214309790794913","article-title":"Ice velocity and climate variations for Baltoro Glacier, Pakistan","volume":"55","author":"Quincey","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Glaciol"},{"key":"ref_36","unstructured":"Paul, F., Bolch, T., K\u00e4\u00e4b, A., Nagler, T., Nuth, C., Scharrer, K., Shepherd, A., Strozzi, T., Ticconi, F., and Bhambri, R. (2013). The glaciers climate change initiative: Methods for creating glacier area, elevation change and velocity products. Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_37","unstructured":"Sarmap. Available online: http:\/\/www.sarmap.ch."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"172","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2007.05.019","article-title":"The potential of satellite radar interferometry and feature tracking for monitoring flow rates of Himalayan glaciers","volume":"111","author":"Luckman","year":"2007","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ"},{"key":"ref_39","unstructured":"Jarvis, A., Reuter, H.I., Nelson, A., and Guevara, E. Available online: http:\/\/srtm.csi.cgiar.org."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Farr, T.G., Rosen, P.A., Caro, E., Crippen, R., Duren, R., Hensley, S., Kobrick, M., Paller, M., Rodriguez, E., and Roth, L. (2007). The shuttle radar topography mission. Rev. Geophys, 45.","DOI":"10.1029\/2005RG000183"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nagler, T., Rott, H., Hetzenecker, M., Scharrer, K., Magn\u00fasson, E., Floricioiu, D., and Notarnicola, C. (2012, January 22\u201327). Retrieval of 3D-glacier movement by high resolution X-band SAR data. Munich, Germany.","DOI":"10.1109\/IGARSS.2012.6350735"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2013.07.034","article-title":"Surface velocities and ice-front positions of eight major glaciers in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, South America, from 2002 to 2011","volume":"139","author":"Muto","year":"2013","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ"},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2012.11.020","article-title":"Heterogeneous mass loss of glaciers in the Aksu-Tarim Catchment (Central Tien Shan) revealed by 1976 KH-9 Hexagon and 2009 SPOT-5 stereo imagery","volume":"130","author":"Pieczonka","year":"2013","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1113","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1752-1688.1995.tb03426.x","article-title":"Climate, snow cover, glaciers, and runoff in the Tien Shan, Central Asia","volume":"31","author":"Aizen","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. Am. Water Resour. Assoc"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"771","DOI":"10.1038\/27384","article-title":"Hydrological characteristics of the drainage system beneath a surging glacier","volume":"395","year":"1998","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.earth.33.092203.122621","article-title":"Subglacial processes","volume":"33","author":"Clarke","year":"2005","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci"},{"key":"ref_47","unstructured":"Cuffey, K.M., and Paterson, W.S.B. (2010). The Physics of Glaciers, Butterworth-Heinemann \/Elsevier. [4th ed]."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"597","DOI":"10.1038\/ngeo1218","article-title":"Ice speed of a calving glacier modulated by small fluctuations in basal water pressure","volume":"4","author":"Sugiyama","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nat. Geosci"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"232","DOI":"10.3189\/172756507782202810","article-title":"The impact of j\u00f6kulhlaups on basal sliding observed by SAR interferometry on Vatnaj\u00f6kull, Iceland","volume":"53","author":"Rott","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Glaciol"},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.3189\/S0022143000015513","article-title":"Discharges of turbid water during mini-surges of Variegated Glacier, Alaska, USA","volume":"32","author":"Humphrey","year":"1986","journal-title":"J. Glaciol"},{"key":"ref_51","first-page":"3","article-title":"Estimation of the surface displacement of Swiss alpine glaciers using satellite radar interferometry","volume":"2","author":"Strozzi","year":"2003","journal-title":"EARSeL eProc"},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1151","DOI":"10.3189\/2012JoG11J249","article-title":"Using surface velocities to calculate ice thickness and bed topography: A case study at Columbia Glacier, Alaska, USA","volume":"58","author":"Mcnabb","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Glaciol"},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"361","DOI":"10.3189\/2012JoG11J129","article-title":"Modelling the delivery of supraglacial meltwater to the ice\/bed interface: application to southwest Devon Ice Cap, Nunavut, Canada","volume":"58","author":"Clason","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Glaciol"},{"key":"ref_54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"651","DOI":"10.3189\/002214309789470897","article-title":"Temporal dynamics of a j\u00f6kulhlaup system","volume":"55","author":"Ng","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Glaciol"}],"container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/6\/10\/9239\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T21:16:21Z","timestamp":1760217381000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/6\/10\/9239"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,26]]},"references-count":54,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,10]]}},"alternative-id":["rs6109239"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/rs6109239","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-4292"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-4292","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,26]]}}}