Satellite data shows 73% shrinkage of Bhutan's Sintaphu Tsho after October GLOF
Satellite imagery analysis indicates that the glacial lake Sintaphu Tsho in Bhutan lost 73% of its surface area following a glacial lake outburst flood on Oct. 29, while a nearby supraglacial lake remains larger than its 2016 size.
Satellite-based monitoring by Suhora Technologies, a geospatial intelligence firm, shows that the glacial lake Sintaphu Tsho in Bhutan's Gasa district lost about 73% of its surface area after a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) on Oct. 29. The lake, situated at roughly 14,700 feet above sea level, fell from 24.13 hectares to 6.54 hectares, a size less than one-third of its pre-event extent over the previous decade.
The same analysis recorded a 24.4% reduction in a neighboring supraglacial lake, which, despite the shrinkage, remains more than twice its 2016 area. Over the ten-year period from 2016 to 2026, the supraglacial lake grew from 5.74 hectares to 16.51 hectares, adding about 1.1 hectare each year.
"The findings highlight the importance of continuous monitoring of glacial lake systems and the role of satellite-based Earth observation in understanding changes across vulnerable Himalayan terrain," said Krishanu Acharya, co-founder of Suhora Technologies. He added that timely access to such data can improve awareness of environmental risks and support disaster-risk monitoring and management.
The GLOF also damaged facilities at Gasa Tshachu, a natural hot spring on the Mo Chhu River, and prompted flash-flood warnings for parts of West Bengal and Assam.