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Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar
Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar

Dr. Ashim Sattar Assistant Professor
School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences

Research Interests

Remote Sensing; GIS; Geo-Hazard and Risk; Glaciology; Early Warning System;  Geomorphology; Socio-economic impacts

 

Contact Details

  • Room no-109, School of Earth Ocean and Climate Sciences, IIT BBS
  • ashimsattar@iitbbs.ac.in, ashim.sattar@gmail.com

Other Profile Link(s)

Education

 Degree Discipline Year School
  Ph.D Earth Sciences 2019 IIT Roorkee
  ...............................................
  Postdocs
  University of Dayton, USA Earth Sciences 2020-21
  University of Zurich, Switzerland Earth Sciences 2021-22
  IISc Bangalore, Inspire Faculty Earth Sciences 2022-23
 

Biosketch

Dr. Sattar's research includes various applications of remote sensing and GIS. His research focus is on the cryosphere including remote sensing-based glacier modeling, and modeling of glacial lake outburst floods and other mountain hazards. His research expertise deals with several aspects of high mountain hazards, risks, and adaptation. He is interested in multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral research around the globe including the Himalayas, the Andes, Iceland, and Central Asia, both at a local scale and in regional-scale assessments. His research involves understanding various mass movement processes in high mountain geosystems focusing on recent dynamics. He is  involved in modeling different forms of potential mass movement including landslides, avalanches, and rockfalls.

Specific reserch interests:

• Modeling of mass movements/slope failures (landslides and avalanches in periglacial environments)

• GIS and field-based Early Warning System (EWS) design for mountain hazard

• Remote Sensing/GIS-based characterization of glaciers

• Interdisciplinary research on mountain hazards and their socio-environmental impacts

• Climate change impact on the cryosphere 

• GLOFs and debris flow modeling 

• Glacier geomorphology- mapping and monitoring 

• Geomorphological  reconstructions

• Large-scale high-mountain hazard and risk modeling 

• Adaptation and disaster risk reduction

Teaching

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Projects

1. Project Title: The status of glacier related hazards in the Himalaya and detailed transboundary hazard assessment of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) and debris flows

Role: PI

Amount: 35 lakhs

Funding: DST

 

2. Project Title: GLOF and Hanging Ice Mass Hazard Assessment in Uttarakhand, Central Himalaya

Role: Co-PI

Amount: 75 lakhs

Funding: DGRE

 

3. Project Title: MEltwater production and impacts on HAzards and water Resources in Ladakh region, India under changing climate; (MEHAR-Ladakh),IRD MEHAR-Ladakh (Indo-French)

Role: JEAI Young Collaborator

Amount: 38 lakhs

Funding: IRD France

 

Recent Publications (International Journals)

1Xu Wang, Guoqing Zhang, Georg Veh, Ashim Sattar, Weicai Wang, Simon K. Allen, Tobias Bolch, Menger Peng Fenglin Xu (2024)- "Reconstructing glacial lake outburst floods in the Poiqu River basin, Central Himalaya". Geomorphology (Impact factor: 3.9)
2Dubey, Saket, Ashim Sattar, Vivek Gupta, Manish Kumar Goyal, Umesh K. Haritashya, and Jeffrey S. Kargel (2024). "Transboundary hazard and downstream impact of glacial lakes in Hindu-Kush Karakoram Himalayas." Science of The Total Environment. (Impact Factor: 9.8)
3Ashim Sattar*, Umesh Haritashya, Jeffrey S. Kargel, Alina Karki (2022)- Transition of a small Himalayan glacier lake outburst flood to a giant transborder flood and debris flow. Scientific Reports (Impact Factor-4.99)
4Ashim Sattar*, Goswami, A., & Kulkarni, A. V. (2019)-Hydrodynamic moraine-breach modeling and outburst flood routing-A hazard assessment of the South Lhonak lake, Sikkim. 668, 362-378. Science of the Total Environment. (Impact Factor-10.75)
5Ashim Sattar*, Goswami, A., & Kulkarni, A. V. (2019)- Application of 1D and 2D hydrodynamic modeling to study glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) and its impact on a hydropower station in Central Himalaya. Natural Hazards. (Impact Factor-3.15)
6Ashim Sattar*, Goswami, A., Kulkarni, A. V., & Das, P. (2019)- Glacier-Surface Velocity Derived Ice Volume and Retreat Assessment in the Dhauliganga Basin, Central Himalaya-A Remote Sensing and Modeling Based Approach. Frontiers in Earth Science. (Impact Factor-3.66)
7Ashim Sattar*, Ajanta Goswami, Anil. V. Kulkarni, Adam Emmer, Umesh K. Haritashya, Simon Allen, Holger Frey, Christian Huggel (2020)- Future Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) hazard of the South Lhonak Lake, Sikkim. Geomorphology. (Impact Factor-4.40)
8Ashim Sattar, Umesh K. Haritashya, Jeffrey S. Kargel, Gregory J. Leonard, Dan H. Shugar, Donald V. Chase (2021)- Modeling lake outburst and downstream hazard assessment of the Lower Barun Glacial Lake, Nepal Himalaya. Journal of Hydrology. (Impact Factor- 6.70)
9Ashim Sattar*, Goswami, A., Kulkarni, A. and Emmer, A., (2020)- Lake Evolution, Hydrodynamic Outburst Flood Modeling, and Sensitivity Analysis in the Central Himalaya: A Case Study, 12(1), p.237. Water. (Impact Factor-3.53
10Ashim Sattar*, Simon Allen, Martin Mergili, Wilfried Haeberli, Holger Frey, Anil V. Kulkarni, Umesh K. Haritashya, Christian Huggel, Ajanta Goswami, RAAJ Ramshankaran (2023) - Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) process chains under current and future scenarios considering options of lake-level lowering, Gepang Gath, Western Himalaya. JGR Earth Surface. (Impact Factor- 4.7)
11Shugar, D.H., Jacquemart, M., Shean, D., Bhushan, S., Upadhyay, K., Sattar, Ashim., et al. (2021)- A massive rock and ice avalanche caused the 2021 disaster at Chamoli, Indian Himalaya. Science. (Impact Factor- 63.7)
12Menger Peng, Xue Wang, Guoqing Zhang, Georg Veh, Ashim Sattar, Simon Allen (2023)- Causes, mechanisms, and downstream impacts of two recent glacial lake outburst flood hazards on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Hydrology. (Impact Factor- 6.7)
13Dubey, S, Ashim Sattar*, Goyal, M. K, Allen, S, Frey, H, Huggel, C, Haritashya,U.K (2022) - Susceptibility of human infrastructure to avalanche and rockfall in the Hindu-Kush-Himalaya- potential secondary hazard from glacial lakes. JGR Earths Future. (Impact Factor-8.85)
14Sonam Rinzin, Guoqing Zhang, Ashim Sattar, Sonam Wangchuk, Simon Allen, Stuart Dunning, Peng Menger (2023)-GLOF hazard and risk assessment of highly dangerous glacial lakes in the Bhutan Himalaya. Journal of Hydrology. (Impact Factor- 6.7)
15Simon K. Allen, Ashim Sattar, Owen King, Guoqing Zhang, Atanu Bhattacharya, Tandong Yao, Tobias Bolch (2022)- Glacial lake outburst flood hazard under current and future conditions: worst-case scenarios in a transboundary Himalayan basin. Natural Hazards and Earth System Science. (Impact Factor-4.58)
16Adam Emmer, Simon Allen, Mark Carey, Holger Frey, Christian Huggel, Oliver Korup, Martin Mergili, Ashim Sattar, Georg Veh et al., (2022)- Progress and challenges in glacial lake outburst flood research (2017-2021): a research community perspective. Natural Hazards and Earth System Science. (Impact Factor-4.58)
17Malik, S., Pal, S.C., Ashim Sattar, Singh, S.K., Das, B., Chakrabortty, R. and Mohammad, P., (2020)- Trend of extreme rainfall events using suitable Global Circulation Model to combat the water logging condition in Kolkata Metropolitan Area. Urban Climate, 32, p.100599. (Impact Factor-6.66)
18Ulfat Majeed, Irfan Rashid, Ashim Sattar, Simon Allen, Markus Stoffel, Marcus Nüsser, Susanne Schmidt (2020)- Recession of Gya Glacier and the 2014 glacial lake outburst flood in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, India. Science of the Total Environment. (Impact Factor- 10.75)
19Adam Emmer, Melaine Le Roy, Ashim Sattar, Bijeesh K. Veettil, Jesús Alcalá-Reygosa, Néstor Campos, Jakub Malecki, Alejo Cochachin (2021)- Glacier retreat and associated processes since the Last Glacial Maximum in the Lejiamayu valley, Peruvian Andes. Journal of South American Earth Sciences. (Impact Factor-2.45

Conferences (International)

1Ajanta Goswami, Sadanand Yadav, Ashim Sattar, Anil. V. Kulkarni, Sanjay K Jain (2016)- A review on Glacial Lake and Glacial Lake outburst flood in Indian Himalaya and its impact on the Ganga Basin”- National Seminar on R & D Perspective for Rejuvenation of River Ganga, 2015.
2Ajanta Goswami, Sadanand Yadav, Ashim Sattar, Anil. V. Kulkarni, Sanjay K Jain (2016)- A review on Glacial Lake and Glacial Lake outburst flood in Indian Himalaya and its impact on the Ganga Basin”- National Seminar on R & D Perspective for Rejuvenation of River Ganga, 2015.
3Ashim Sattar, Ajnata Goswami, Anil. V. Kulkarni, Pritam Das (2016)- Estimation of total glacier volume and volume change from 1968 to 2016 in Dhauliganga basin using different methods-National Conference on Himalayan Cryosphere, 2017, IISc Bangalore.
4Ashim Sattar, (2020) GLOF process chain modeling and future hazard of the South Lhonak Lake and its hydraulic uncertainty, International Conference on Himalayan Cryosphere-2020, IISc Bangalore
5Ashim Sattar, Umesh K Haritashya, Jeffrey S Kargel (2020)-Reconstructing the process-chain of the 2016 Glacial Lake outburst flood (GLOF), Poiqu basin, Eastern Himalaya- AGU Fall Meeting, 2021
6Saket Dubey, Ashim Sattar, Umesh K Haritashya, Manish Kumar Goyal, Simon Allen, Holger Frey, Christian Huggel (2022)-Avalanche and landslide exposure in Hindu-Kush Karakoram Himalaya- AGU Fall Meeting, 2022
7C.P.Rajendran, Jaishri Sanwal, Kusala Rajendran, C.N.Prabhu, A.S.Silpa, Ashim Sattar (2015)- Continuous Indian Ocean Tsunami History: Database from Andaman-Nicobar Islands- Asia Ocenia Geosciences Society (AOGS), Singapore.
8Ashim Sattar, Ajanta Goswami, Anil.V.Kulkarni (2015)- The status of Himalayan glaciers-A review on glacier mass balance. International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS WG VIII/1 Workshop)- ISPRS15-07-0007.
9Ajanta Goswami, Pir Mohammad, Ashim Sattar, Rahul Mahanta, Stefania Bonafoni (2016)- An Urban Heat Island magnitude study over the city of Guwahati-An integration of Remote Sensing and Ground based approach. International Conference on Civil Engineering for Sustainable Development-Opportunities & Challenges.
10Pir Mohammad, Ajanta Goswami, Ashim Sattar, Stefania Bonafoni (2016)-A remote sensing approach to study the temporal growth of the urban limits for the city of Hyderabad from 2001-2015. International Conference on Civil Engineering for Sustainable Development-Opportunities & Challenges
11Ajanta Goswami, Pir Mohammad, Ashim Sattar (2016)- A temporal study of Urban Heat Island (UHI) using Remote Sensing-A Evaluation of Ahmedabad city, Gujarat. International Conference on Climate Change Mitigation and Technologies for Adaptation.
12Ajanta Goswami, Bijay Ketan Mohanta, Ashim Sattar, Anil. V. Kulkarni (2016)- Glacial lake dynamics and climate change-A study of temporal evolution of the glacier melt lakes in Uttarakhand. International Conference on Climate Change Mitigation and Technologies for Adaptation.
13Ashim Sattar, Ajanta Goswami, Anil. V. Kulkarni- Hydrodynamic modeling of glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) and its impact on a Hydropower Station- A case study at the upper Alaknanda Basin, Central Himalaya. NH6.1/AS5.21/CR7.3/GI2.17/HS11.33/SM 3.12/SSS13.54 EGU General Assembly 2018, Vienna, Austria.
14Simon Allen, Tobias Bolch, Holger Frey, Guoqing Zhang, Guoxiong Zheng, Suraj Mal, Chen Ningsheng, Ashim Sattar, Markus Stoffel- Glacial lake outburst floods in High Mountain Asia: From large scale assessment to local disaster risk management. EGU General Assembly, 2021.
15Saket Dubey, Manish Kumar Goyal, Ashim Sattar, Umesh K. Haritashya - Susceptibility of glacial lakes to avalanche and rockfall in the Hindu-Kush-Himalaya. EGU General Assembly, 2021
16Martin Mergili, Ashim Sattar, Johnathan Carrivick, Adam Emmer, Kyle T. Mandli, Mylène Jacquemart, Scott Watson, Matt Westoby, John J. Clague, Umesh K. Haritashya, Dan H. Shugar-Exploring the flow evolution of the Chamoli event (Uttarakhand, India) of 7 February 2021: From geomorphological mapping to multi-model computer simulations. EGU General Assembly, 2021.
17Ashim Sattar, Simon Allen, Holger Frey, Christian Huggel, Martin Mergili- Modeling glacial lake outburst flood process chains in Sikkim Himalaya: Hazard assessment of the two potentially hazardous lakes. EGU General Assembly, 2021.

Conferences (National)

1Ajanta Goswami, Sadanand Yadav, Ashim Sattar, Anil. V. Kulkarni, Sanjay K Jain (2016)- A review on Glacial Lake and Glacial Lake outburst flood in Indian Himalaya and its impact on the Ganga Basin”- National Seminar on R & D Perspective for Rejuvenation of River Ganga, 2015.
2Ashim Sattar, Ajnata Goswami, Anil. V. Kulkarni, Pritam Das (2016)- Estimation of total glacier volume and volume change from 1968 to 2016 in Dhauliganga basin using different methods-National Conference on Himalayan Cryosphere, 2017, IISc Bangalore.
3Ashim Sattar, Ajanta Goswami, Anil.V.Kulkarni (2016)- A temporal study of Land Surface temperature and precipitation: An evaluation of Glacier Mass Balance and Glacial Lakes Using Earth Observatory Techniques” -National Geo-Research Scholars Meet, 2016.
 

Academic Honors & Awards

  • DST INSPIRE FACULTY AWARD
  • Swiss Government Excellence Award (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
  • Nehru Grimssion Fellowship (Remote Sensing & Glaciology - University of Iceland)
  • Best Research Presentation Award, - NCPOR, Goa
  • DST INSPIRE FELLOWSHIP
  • Prof. Chind Prasad Rao Memorial Gold medal,
  • Prof. M.N.Viswanathaiah Endowment Gold Medal
  • Prof. P.N.Satish Gold Medal, 2013
 

Research Scholar

1.Scholar name: Sonam Rinzin

My role: Co-supervisor

Thesis Title: Cascading glacial lake hazard and risk in Bhutan Himalaya

Registered at: Newcastle University, UK
 

 
2. Scholar name: Abhinav.A

My role: Supervisor

Thesis Title: Multi-hazard EWS for high mountains

Registered at: IIT BBS
 
 

Professional Experience

Appointments:  10/2023 - present: Assistant Professor, SEOCS, IIT Bhubaneswar;        10/2022 – 10/2023: DST Inspire Faculty, Divecha Center for Climate Change, IISc Bangalore;          ·   10/2021 – 09/2022:   Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Zurich, Switzerland; 01/2021 – 08/2021:  Federal Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Zurich, Switzerland (Swiss Govt. funded); 01/2020 – 01/2021:  Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Dayton, OH.  USA.  

Scientific reports:

 

1. Holger Frey, Ashim Sattar, Frank Paul- Glacier Science in the Alps Use case Geohazards Report, prepared under European Space Agency (ESA) contract.

 

2. Ashim Sattar, Holger Frey, Simon Allen- Hazard and exposure mapping for outburst floods from Shako Cho and South Lhonak glacial lakes in Sikkim, India (2022), University of Zurich, Swiss Development corporation, Geotest, University of Geneva

3. Simon Allen and Ashim Sattar- Modelling of outburst flood hazard from Lake Sarez, Tajikistan (2023)

Book Chapters:

1. Anil V Kulkarni, Roja Asharaf, Ashim Sattar- Hindukush Karakoram Himalayan Glaciers: A Cryospheric Asset (in press)

 

Membership / Fellowship of Professional Remote Sensing Societies:

 

1. Life Member of Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS)- L-5215

2. Life Member of Indian Society of Geomatics (ISG)- SG-L-2177

3. Expert member of Glacier and Permafrost Hazards in Mountains (GAPHAZ)-A Scientific Standing Group of the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences IACS and the International Permafrost Association IPA.

4. Affiliated member of Environment and Climate: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation (EClim), University of Zurich, Switzerland.

5.Life member of Geological Society of India (GSI) (M-0286)

6. Life member of Indian Meterological Society (IMS) (LM-3794)

7. Life member of Indian Asssociation of Hydrologists (LM-2090)

Representation in G-20 India:

Panelist at the Youth-20 Consultation Summit on the theme ‘Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction & Sustainability—A Way of Life’ under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, May 11, 2023

Journal Editor:

1. Guest Associate Editor in Image Analysis and Classification, Frontiers in Remote Sensing

(https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/26359/cryospheric-remote-sensing) 

2. Review Editor in Hydrosphere, Frontiers 

(https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/all/sections/hydrosphere#editorial-board)

3. Guest Editor in Science of Remote Sensing

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/science-of-remote-sensing/about/call-for-papers#remote-sensing-of-cryosphere-and-environmental-change-in-the-third-pole)

 

Invited speaker:

1. Invited speaker at  Department of Earth Science, University of Mysore, 2019- Challenges, and opportunities in Earth Sciences (Glacier studies).

2. Invited speaker at Yuvaraja College, University of Mysore, 2019- Opportunities in Earth Sciences and Cryospheric Science.

3. Invited speaker at National Conference on "Water Resource Conservation and Management: A Shift from Awareness to Consciousness", University of Madras, 24th - 25th March 2022.

4. Invited Lecture at "International Workshop on Earthquake and Climate Change-Induced Geological Hazards in High Mountain Areas", May 12 to May 13, 2022, Chendu, China.

5. Invited Lecture at Faculty Development Programme (FDP) "Climate Change Challenges and Disaster Risk Reduction”, Assam Down Town University, 20 -26 July, 2021.

6. Invited speaker at “Koshi Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Hub (KDKH) annual dialogue”, jointly organized by National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA)-Nepal, Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA)-India, the Institute of Mountain Hazard and Environment (IMHE)-China, and ICIMOD’s Koshi Basin Initiative, Regional Programme on River Basins and Cryosphere. 15-16 December, 2022

7. Keynote speaker at the "GLOFCA Regional Exchange Workshop" funded by the Adaptation Fund and implemented by UNESCO and the University of Zurich, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 31st October. 2022

8. Invited speaker at FOREcaSting and Early warning of Extreme Events and Disasters” (FORESEED 2022) under the 'Accelerate Vigyan Scheme' of DST, IIT Roorkee, 2022

9. Invite speaker at National Disaster Risk Management Project Glacial hazard mapping and assessment 23 January - 27 January 2023,Venue: Dushanbe, Committee for Emergency Situation and Civil Defense, Republican Training Center.

10. Invited speaker at 2-day training program for health professionals @ DCCC, IISc Bangalore

11. Invited speaker at  Introductory Training Course in Climate Change -The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Program- Supported by the Ministry of External Affairs Govt. of India

12. Invited speaker at  the One-day workshop on “Addressing Earthquake Risk in India”. 12th April 2023, India International Center, New Delhi

 

Media video coverage:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDyYvbaGIs0

2. https://y20india.in/dr-ashim-sattars-idea-of-a-warning-system-to-minimize-the-risks-of-disasters-y20-consultation/

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgfiid60xoQ

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIIrb7iT6XE

5. https://www.stimson.org/event/cascading-disasters-and-vulnerable-infrastructure-in-the-himalaya-placing-the-sikkim-and-melamchi-floods-in-context/

6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLvcQO33GMQ

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fShmmCpveU

Media coverage:

1. https://www.nature.com/articles/d44151-023-00152-7

2. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/south-lhonak-lake-flood-teesta-dam-climate/article67503729.ece

3. https://www.wired.com/story/glacial-lake-outburst-flood-glof-india-sikkim/

4, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/06/world/asia/india-flood-sikkim-climate-change.html

5. https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/oct/05/sikkim-flashfloods-experts-attribute-glacial-outburst-to-climate-change-2621001.html

6. https://nepalitimes.com/news/sikkim-flood-is-warning-to-nepal

7. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/natural-disasters/sikkim-s-chungthang-dam-collapse-signals-the-need-for-dam-safety-emissions-reduction-92192

8. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sikkim-14-dead-120-missing-bridges-dams-roads-washed-away-in-flash-flood-101696430052672.html

9. https://www.facebook.com/MEAINDIA/posts/indiaicelandthree-indian-students-namely-mr-ashim-sattar-ms-remya-sn-and-ms-teja/1797879963567127/?locale=hi_IN

10. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/10/07/asia-pacific/india-himalayas-glacier-floods/

11. https://www.mountainresearchinitiative.org/component/content/article/112-mri-news/global-news/2900-chamoli-disaster-could-happen-again

12. https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/sikkim-glof-3

13. https://www.thesikkimchronicle.com/south-lhonak-lake-disaster-and-climate-crisis-insights-from-scientific-research/

14. https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/up-front/story/20231030-sikkim-warning-from-the-himalayas-2451485-2023-10-20

15. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1923480

 

 
 

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