TransTIP

The TransTIP project is a DFG-funded Sino-German research training group of the universities of Braunschweig, Jena and Hannover and the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research of the Chinese Academy of Science. Together we study Lake NamCo on the Tibetan Plateau from different scientific perspectives. The aim of this project is to improve our understanding of the effects of climate change on the Tibetan Plateau and to strengthen Sino-German cooperation in science.

The subproject S7 of the IGP is focusing on determining and quantifying changes in surface and root-zone soil moisture as key parameters in the hydrological cycle and climate system that influence the frequency of sediment fluxes. Our work is based on a synthetic aperture radar polarimetry approach at high spatio-temporal resolution. The project will also assess whether the extent and magnitude of soil moisture changes influences the estimated displacement patterns (identified in previous subproject S3) in rock glaciers in the southern Tibetan Plateau.

The subproject S3 of the IGP is concerned with the acquisition and processing of radar data from the Sentinel and the TerraSAR-X satellites in this area. The data will be used to calculate the movement rates of rock glaciers and landslides of the last 4 years to determine the influence of these processes on the sediment budget of the NamCo. The high resolution of the satellite data, as well as their low repetition rates, allow an accurate representation of these processes and their changes over the last years.

The knowledge gained from the radar data will be verified with GPS and laser scanner measurements on site and compared with other projects of the TransTIP program to ensure high reliability and accuracy. Subsequently, this project will monitor and analyse the movement rates of rock glaciers and landslides in this area in the coming years.