Dataset of glacier surface motion along KKH during 2015-2017

Crossing one of the most glacier-concentrated regions – the Karakoram Mountains, KKH constantly faces threats from glacier motions along the way. This study obtained the displacement field of glacier surface along the KKH during October 2014 and March 2018 by feature-tracking method, using Sentinel1A SAR data of the research area of the same period.

Results indicated that glacier surface velocities in the northern and central parts of the region are relatively stable, while parts of the large-scale glaciers in the southern part had higher velocities up to 4 m/d, particularly along the section of the highway near Batura Sar. This dataset can be used as basic data in research of glacial mass balance, as well as of hydrological resource dynamics and climate changes. In addition, the high-precision monitoring results of the displacement field are of great significance for glacier disaster warnings to KKH and the residents around.