High-altitude glacier survey targets disaster risks in Xizang

A high-altitude aerial remote sensing survey has been carried out in Nakarze county, Xizang autonomous region, to identify potential hazards linked to glaciers and glacial lakes, Xizang TV reported.

From Aug 30 to Sept 7, a six-member team from Xizang Chuangbo General Aviation Technology conducted monitoring at an altitude of 5,400 meters and deployed an observation beacon on a target glacier for the first time.

The operation followed a mudslide in Nepal on Aug 26 linked to glacial melting. The company mobilized emergency response personnel and equipment to Gyirong and, while on standby for rescue operations, investigated glacier activity within an 800-kilometer radius of the disaster site.

At 5,400 meters, low oxygen levels, reduced drone battery efficiency, weaker rotor lift, unstable air currents, and short weather windows posed challenges. Team members wrote their names and blood types on their shoes as an emergency identification measure.

Over eight days, the team conducted flight inspections and deployed beacons during the day while processing data at night. It surveyed 26.2 square kilometers of a planned 35 sq km.

The monitoring collected precise topographic data and imagery, focusing on glacier melting and retreat, ice collapse and sliding, lake expansion, shoreline collapse, moraine dam stability, and the risk of glacial lake outbursts.

Monitoring of the remaining areas is ongoing. The company said it would work with geological disaster experts to analyze the data and produce a scientific report.