# Suhora Technologies satellite data show Bhutan's Sintaphu Tsho lake lost 73% of its area after GLOF

- Published: 2026-11-05 15:16 UTC
- Section: Planet › Earth sciences
- Tags: Sintaphu Tsho, glacial lake outburst flood, Bhutan Gasa district, supraglacial lake, satellite assessment, Earth observation, Himalayan glacial lakes, Gasa Tshachu, Mo Chhu River
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-01feb7db2f204a5b79b6a181_suhora_technologies_satellite/

**Suhora Technologies compared late-October satellite images from 2016 to 2026 for two lakes in Gasa district. After the October 29 flood, Sintaphu Tsho fell to 6.54 ha.**

![Suhora Technologies satellite data show Bhutan's Sintaphu Tsho lake lost 73% of its area after GLOF](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/f7da960e81791449.jpg)
*The Hindu Sci-Tech*

The Hindu Sci-Tech reported on November 5, 2026 that a near-real-time satellite assessment by Suhora Technologies, a Noida-based geospatial intelligence company, found a 73% reduction in the surface area of Sintaphu Tsho. The Himalayan glacial lake in Bhutan's Gasa district was hit by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) on October 29. [1] The adjoining supraglacial lake shrank by 24.4%. [1]

A supraglacial lake is a temporary body of meltwater that collects in surface depressions on a glacier or ice sheet. Sintaphu Tsho lies at about 14,700 feet above mean sea level. According to the assessment, it lost the most water during the outburst. [1]

## Sintaphu Tsho: ten years of imagery

The company analysed late-October satellite imagery from 2016 to 2026. Before the flood, Sintaphu Tsho was stable, gaining 3.4% in surface area, from 23.33 ha in 2016 to 24.13 ha in 2026. The gain peaked on October 28, the day before the outburst. [1]

After the GLOF, the lake's surface area fell to 6.54 ha, down 73%. That is less than a third of its size at any point in the previous ten years. [1]

## Supraglacial lake and the consequences of the flood

The neighbouring supraglacial lake grew steadily over the same decade, from 5.74 ha to 16.51 ha, an increase of 188%, nearly three times its 2016 size. It added about 1.1 ha a year, with no year of shrinkage. After the GLOF it fell to 12.47 ha, down 24%, but it remains more than twice its 2016 size. [1]

Sintaphu Tsho lies below Wakila Mountain in the Lungo area of Laya Gewog, an administrative block. The October 29 flood from this lake destroyed facilities at Gasa Tshachu, a popular natural hot spring on the banks of the Mo Chhu River. It also triggered flash flood warnings for parts of West Bengal and Assam. [1]

Krishanu Acharya, co-founder of Suhora Technologies, said 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. [1]

## Sources

1. [The Hindu Sci-Tech](https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/satellite-assessment-shows-73-reduction-in-bhutans-lake-after-glof/article71666542.ece)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-01feb7db2f204a5b79b6a181_suhora_technologies_satellite/