REVIEW ARTICLE Cryospheric Studies in Indian Himalayan and Polar Region: Current Status, Advances and Future Prospects of Remote Sensing P. K. Thakur 1 • V. Garg 1 • B. R. Nikam 1 • A. Chouksey 1 • S. P. Aggarwal 1 • Pankaj R. Dhote 1 Received: 17 July 2017 / Revised: 29 August 2017 / Accepted: 14 September 2017 / Published online: 24 November 2017 Ó The National Academy of Sciences, India 2017 Abstract Cryosphere studies are very critical for under- standing the behaviour of the global climate system. The- cryosphere components such snow cover, glacier ice, ice sheets, icebergs, etc. need to be studied, from Earth’s energy and water balance point of view. However, their quantification and mapping is tedious on field using tradi- tion survey methods. This review paper summarizes the major research work done in field of remote sensing based cryosphere studies in Indian Himalaya and Polar Regions. The traditional survey methods using terrestrial pho- togrammetry and aerial photography for snow and glacier studies are presented, initially. Then, remote sensing methods of snow and glacier mapping using visible, infrared and thermal spectral bands are presented. Later, the application of these techniques and method in Indian conditions is discussed. The advanced methods of micro- wave sensors based inversion models for snow physical properties retrieval are also explained. The separate sub- sections are given to highlight the use of remote sensing in glacier and polar studies. In each section, the current status and advances of the technology are discussed. The future prospects of remote sensing technology for each cryo- sphere theme are highlighted with emphasis to Indian scenario. Keywords Himalaya Á Snow Á Glacier Á Ice Á Aerial photography Á Remote sensing Á GIS Á Polar remote sensing 1 Introduction Snow, glaciers, sea ice and polar ice sheets, collectively known as cryosphere, play an important role in Earth’s overall climate, energy and hydrological budget [1]. Cryosphere is the second largest component of the climate system after the oceans that holds around 95% of the global freshwater reserve. This corresponds to approximate 65 m of world sea-level equivalent, with Antarctica accounting for 90% of this equivalent. As snow and other components of cryosphere have high albedo, it act as global reflector of insolation and provides important feedback to earth energy budget [1]. In Indian region, snow and glacier are found in high Himalaya and melt water from seasonal snow and permanent glaciers provides very important and critical water for Himalayan rivers [2, 3]. Moreover, Eurasian snow cover plays an important role in regional, Indian and global climate [4–6]. Therefore, monitoring the changes occurring in the cryosphere regions are very important. Indian researchers have been carrying out observations on major components of the global cryosphere for several decades. Traditional methods of plane table survey using theodolites were main tools of Survey of India (SOI) for mapping snow and glaciers areas during early 18 and 19th century [7]. Traditional ground based methods of snow surveys to mark snow cover area (SCA), snow depth and snow water equivalent (SWE) are difficult to implement in Himalaya. Dhir [8] has prepared detailed report on feasibility of snow survey in the Himalaya, and concluded that snow survey may not be feasible using traditional methods due to non- availability of transport, communication and food in such high remote locations. Therefore, there is a strong need for remote sensing (RS) based methods for estimation of snow and glacier dynamics of Himalaya. This review work, & P. K. Thakur praveen@iirs.gov.in 1 Water Resources Department, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), 4-Kalidas Road, Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand 248001, India 123 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. A Phys. Sci. (October–December 2017) 87(4):593–616 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40010-017-0437-7