AHP Based Assessment of Glof Susceptibility of South Lhonak Glacial Lake, Sikkim Himalaya, India

This study analyses the topographic components of a snow avalanche and determines its susceptibility to a fast-expanding South Lhonak glacier lake area using Saaty's Analytical Hierarchy Process and converting the subsequent weightages to the raster thematic layers of all the topographic parameters, based on a weighted overlay analysis. The result exhibits that in winter, due to a relatively higher rate of snowfall, 33.14% of the total snow-covered area within the glacier is covered by fresh snow whereas it is 10.28% during the post-monsoon season. South Lhonak glacier, surrounded and connected by other highly elevated snow-covered areas may lead to snow avalanche and subsequent potentially damaging glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).