scholarly journals Remote Sensing of Mountain Glaciers and Related Hazards

Author(s):  
Pratima Pandey ◽  
Alagappan Ramanathan ◽  
Gopalan Venkataraman
Author(s):  
Oddur Sigurðsson ◽  
Richard S. Williams ◽  
Sandro Martinis ◽  
Ulrich Münzer

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 448-461
Author(s):  
O. N. Solomina ◽  
I. S. Bushueva ◽  
P. D. Polumieva ◽  
E. A. Dolgova ◽  
M. D. Dokukin

On the basis of dendrochronological, lichenometric and historical data with the use of Earth remote sensing materials, the evolution of the Donguz-Orun Glacier has been reconstructed over the past centuries. In this work we used aerial photographs of 1957, 1965, 1981, 1987, satellite image of 2009, as well as descriptions, photographs, maps and plans of the glacier of the 19th and 20th centuries, data of instrumental measurements of the glacier end position in the second half of the 20th – early 21st centuries, dendrochronological dating of pine on the front part of the valley, and juniper to date coastal moraines, and the results of lichenometry studies. It has been established that the Donguz-Orun Glacier in the past had several clearly marked advances about 100, 200 and more than 350 years ago, which are expressed in relief in the form of uneven-aged coastal moraines. Despite the fact that the Donguz-Orun Glacier differs from many mountain-valley glaciers of the Caucasus primarily by its predominantly avalanche feeding and a moraine cover, almost entirely covering its surface, the main periods of its advances are consistent with the known large fluctuations of mountain glaciers during the Little Ice Age in the early 20th, early 19th, and, probably, in the middle of the 17th century. However, unlike most other Caucasian glaciers, the Donguz-Orun Glacier advanced in the 1970s–2000s. Te scale of its degradation from the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 21st century is also uncharacteristic for the Caucasus: the reduction in the length for longer than a century period is only about 100 m.


2019 ◽  
pp. 159-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guglielmina Adele Diolaiuti ◽  
Roberto Sergio Azzoni ◽  
Carlo D'Agata ◽  
Davide Maragno ◽  
Davide Fugazza ◽  
...  

Remote sensing investigations permit to map and describe at a regional scale and with a multi-temporal approach mountain glaciers. In this work, we present some results from the New Italian Glacier Inventory which we developed by analyzing high-resolution color orthophotos acquired in the timeframe 2005–2011. In particular, in this paper we focused on each Italian Alpine Region, describing in detail glacier extent and features of each mountain group. Although Italian glaciologists were the first to produce glacier inventories (developing a glacier database as early as the beginning of the 20th century), during the last three decades only regional and local glacier lists have been developed. Therefore, a comprehensive study describing the actual whole Italian glaciation has been lacking. The New Italian Glacier Inventory describes 903 glaciers covering altogether an area of 368.10 km2 ± 2%. We found that about 84% of the total number of ice bodies is composed of glaciers smaller than 0.5 km2 covering only 21% of the total area, indicating that the Italian glacier resource is spread into several small ice bodies with only few larger glaciers. A comparison between the total glacier area of the new inventory and the glacier coverage value from the CGI Inventory (1959–1962) suggests a reduction of the glacier extent of about 30%.


2009 ◽  
Vol 50 (53) ◽  
pp. 93-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.S. Moussavi ◽  
M.J. Valadan Zoej ◽  
F. Vaziri ◽  
M.R. Sahebi ◽  
Y. Rezaei

AbstractA new glacier inventory of Iran, compiled according to GLIMS guidelines through the use of photogrammetry and remote sensing supported by fieldwork, provides the first comprehensive study of its mountain glaciers. The glaciers are found in five main areas: two in the higher elevations of the Alborz mountain range (Damavand and Takhte–Soleiman regions), two on the Zardkuh and Oshtorankuh mountain chain in the Zagros mountain range and one in the Sabalan Mountains in northwest Iran. Several important glacier attributes, including minimum and maximum height of ice, area and maximum length and width, together with glacier extent, were successfully extracted using aerial and satellite imagery. Thereafter a comprehensive glacier database was established in a GIS environment.


1987 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 248-248
Author(s):  
V.G. Konovalov

The areal distribution of glacier annual mass balance b(z) is an important characteristic of the existence of glacierization and its evolution. At present the measured value of annual mass balance at different elevations is only available for a limited number of mountain glaciers of the globe, because of the great amount of labour required for such measurements.The analysis of long-term mass-balance measurements made at Abramova Glacier, Limmerngletscher, White Glacier, Hintereisferner, and Peyto Glacier has revealed that for each year the spatial distribution of annual mass balance is well described by quadratic equations. The main variable in these equations is altitude (z). The various parameters of these formulae are estimated by the author for mean weighted height of the ablation and accumulation areas, and for the glaciers as a whole. It is found that the parameters of annual mass balance for each glacier can be calculated from formulae which include combinations of the following variables: annual balance at one of the three weighted altitudes, maximum annual snow-line elevation, annual and seasonal amounts of precipitation, and air temperatures at nearby meteorological stations.Therefore, in order to calculate the distribution of annual mass balance as a function of absolute altitude, it is sufficient to obtain a value for mass balance measured only at a single point on a glacier, and common meteorological observational data. A comparison of actual and calculated values of mass balance has shown good agreement between them.Considering the successful use of aerial remote-sensing for the measurement of snow depth in mountains by means of special stakes, it is satisfactory to accept this method for the assessment of annual mass balance at the mean weighted altitude of the ablation zone. It is possible to use aerial photo-surveys or stereophotogrammetry to resolve this problem. Then annual mass balance for the whole area of a glacier is calculated by using data from one point together with data from a nearby meteorological station.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Malz ◽  
Christian Sommer ◽  
David Farias ◽  
Thorsten Seehaus ◽  
Matthias Braun

<p>Mountain glaciers are key indicators of the changing climate conditions worldwide. Observations in recent decades suggest that their immediate atmospheric environment is changing more rapidly than it does elsewhere. Therefore, in addition to a network for measuring climatic parameters, a continuous investigation of glacier changes is indispensable.</p><p>The Terra SAR-Add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement (TanDEM-X) mission has achieved two complete space-borne surveys of the Earth's surface and thus of all existing glaciers during its mission lifetime. This study exhibits the methodological and technical findings generated over the period 2011-2019 for multi-temporal investigations – and culminates in a recommendation map for the ongoing and follow-up bi-static SAR acquisitions.</p><p>The opportunities which TanDEM-X datasets open up for glacier monitoring are demonstrated: high spatial resolution of up to ~10 m, independence of cloud cover and daylight, smooth and homogenous elevation change fields. This enables wide spatial coverage of the observations throughout climatic and altitudinal zones. However, there are also challenges and limitations to multi-temporal glacier change monitoring. We provide initial conclusions from our repeat studies in Patagonia, the tropical Andes, the Alps and Himalaya/Karakoram. Influences such as seasonality, terrain and latitude on measurement accuracy are being investigated.</p><p>The results of this work highlight the capabilities of TanDEM-X data with our current processing strategy: We show where major uncertainties arise from, where our products complement other methods, and where they surpass them. Our analysis forms a contribution to the Regional Assessments of Glacier Mass Change (RAGMAC) initiative for a better understanding of observation disparities and collaboration potentials in glacier monitoring by remote sensing techniques. Based on our findings we will point to research needs and propose strategies for a continuous global acquisition and to partially overcome some of the deficiencies, where possible.</p>


1987 ◽  
Vol 33 (114) ◽  
pp. 212-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.G. Konovalov

Abstract The areal distribution of glacier annual mass balance b(z) is an important characteristic of the existence of glacierization and its evolution. At present the measured value of annual mass balance at different elevations is only available for a limited number of mountain glaciers of the globe, because of the great amount of labour required for such measurements. The analysis of long-term mass-balance measurements made at Abramova glacier, Limmerngletscher, White Glacier, Hintereisferner, and Peyto Glacier has revealed that for each year the spatial distribution of annual mass balance is well described by quadratic equations. The main variable in these equations is altitude (z). The various parameters of these formulae are estimated by the author for mean weighted height of the ablation and accumulation areas, and for the glaciers as a whole. It is found that the parameters of annual mass balance for each glacier can be calculated from formulae which include combinations of the following variables: annual balance at one of the three weighted altitudes, maximum annual snow-line elevation, annual and seasonal amounts of precipitation, and air temperatures at nearby meteorological stations. Therefore, in order to calculate the distribution of annual mass balance as a function of absolute altitude, it is sufficient to obtain a value for mass balance measured only at a single point on a glacier, and common meteorological observational data. A comparison of actual and calculated values of mass balance has shown good agreement between them. Considering the successful use of aerial remote-sensing for the measurement of snow depth in mountains by means of special stakes, it is satisfactory to accept this method for the assessment of annual mass balance at the mean weighted altitude of the ablation zone. It is possible to use aerial photo-surveys or stereophotogrammetry to resolve this problem. Then annual mass balance for the whole area of a glacier is calculated by using data from one point together with data from a nearby meteorological station.


1987 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 248
Author(s):  
V.G. Konovalov

The areal distribution of glacier annual mass balance b(z) is an important characteristic of the existence of glacierization and its evolution. At present the measured value of annual mass balance at different elevations is only available for a limited number of mountain glaciers of the globe, because of the great amount of labour required for such measurements. The analysis of long-term mass-balance measurements made at Abramova Glacier, Limmerngletscher, White Glacier, Hintereisferner, and Peyto Glacier has revealed that for each year the spatial distribution of annual mass balance is well described by quadratic equations. The main variable in these equations is altitude (z). The various parameters of these formulae are estimated by the author for mean weighted height of the ablation and accumulation areas, and for the glaciers as a whole. It is found that the parameters of annual mass balance for each glacier can be calculated from formulae which include combinations of the following variables: annual balance at one of the three weighted altitudes, maximum annual snow-line elevation, annual and seasonal amounts of precipitation, and air temperatures at nearby meteorological stations. Therefore, in order to calculate the distribution of annual mass balance as a function of absolute altitude, it is sufficient to obtain a value for mass balance measured only at a single point on a glacier, and common meteorological observational data. A comparison of actual and calculated values of mass balance has shown good agreement between them. Considering the successful use of aerial remote-sensing for the measurement of snow depth in mountains by means of special stakes, it is satisfactory to accept this method for the assessment of annual mass balance at the mean weighted altitude of the ablation zone. It is possible to use aerial photo-surveys or stereophotogrammetry to resolve this problem. Then annual mass balance for the whole area of a glacier is calculated by using data from one point together with data from a nearby meteorological station.


2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (254) ◽  
pp. 873-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Leigh ◽  
C. R. Stokes ◽  
R. J. Carr ◽  
I. S. Evans ◽  
L. M. Andreassen ◽  
...  

AbstractSmall mountain glaciers are an important part of the cryosphere and tend to respond rapidly to climate warming. Historically, mapping very small glaciers (generally considered to be <0.5 km2) using satellite imagery has often been subjective due to the difficulty in differentiating them from perennial snowpatches. For this reason, most scientists implement minimum size-thresholds (typically 0.01–0.05 km2). Here, we compare the ability of different remote-sensing approaches to identify and map very small glaciers on imagery of varying spatial resolutions (30–0.25 m) and investigate how operator subjectivity influences the results. Based on this analysis, we support the use of a minimum size-threshold of 0.01 km2 for imagery with coarse to medium spatial resolution (30–10 m). However, when mapping on high-resolution imagery (<1 m) with minimal seasonal snow cover, glaciers <0.05 km2 and even <0.01 km2 are readily identifiable and using a minimum threshold may be inappropriate. For these cases, we develop a set of criteria to enable the identification of very small glaciers and classify them as certain, probable or possible. This should facilitate a more consistent approach to identifying and mapping very small glaciers on high-resolution imagery, helping to produce more comprehensive and accurate glacier inventories.


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