scholarly journals Potential of RADARSAT-2 stereo radargrammetry for the generation of glacier DEMs

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (233) ◽  
pp. 486-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. PAPASODORO ◽  
A. ROYER ◽  
A. LANGLOIS ◽  
E. BERTHIER

ABSTRACTThe study of glaciers and ice caps in remote and cloudy regions remains difficult using current remote sensing tools. Here the potential of stereo radargrammetry (SRG) with RADARSAT-2 Wide Ultra-Fine images is explored for DEM extraction, elevation changes and mass-balance calculations on Barnes Ice Cap (Nunavut, Canada). Over low-relief terrain surrounding Barnes, a vertical precision of ~7 m (1σ confidence level) is measured, as well as an average vertical bias of ~4 m. Moreover, we show that the C-band penetration depth over the ice cap is insignificant at this time of the year (i.e. late ablation season). This is likely due to a wet surface and the presence of superimposed ice that leads to a surface radar response. Comparing the SRG DEMs with other datasets, an historical glacier-wide mass balance of −0.52 ± 0.19 m w.e. a−1is estimated for 1960–2013, whereas it decreases to −1.06 ± 0.84 m w.e. a−1between 2005 and 2013. This clear acceleration of mass loss is in agreement with other recent studies. Given its all-weather functionality and its possible use without ground control points, the RADARSAT-2 SRG technology represents an appropriate alternative for glacier monitoring in cloudy and remote regions.

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joaquín M. C. Belart ◽  
Etienne Berthier ◽  
Eyjólfur Magnússon ◽  
Leif S. Anderson ◽  
Finnur Pálsson ◽  
...  

Abstract. Sub-meter resolution satellite stereo images allow the generation of high resolution, accurate digital elevation models (DEMs). Repeated acquisitions of stereo images from Pléiades, in October 2014 and May 2015, and from WorldView2 (WV2), in February 2015, over Drangajökull ice cap (NW-Iceland) are used to estimate the geodetic glacier-wide mass balance on sub-annual time scales. Relative adjustment of the DEMs is performed with and without a pre-existing lidar DEM as source of ground control points (GCPs), and resulting statistics in snow-free and ice-free areas reveal similar vertical accuracy


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1667-1704
Author(s):  
C. Papasodoro ◽  
E. Berthier ◽  
A. Royer ◽  
C. Zdanowicz ◽  
A. Langlois

Abstract. In the far south of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), on the Meta Incognita Peninsula (Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada), the small Grinnell and Terra Nivea ice caps have received little attention compared to the much larger ice masses further north. Their evolution can, however, give valuable information about the impact of the recent Arctic warming at lower latitudes (i.e. 62.5° N). In this paper, we measure historical and recent rates of area, elevation and mass changes of both ice caps using in-situ, airborne and spaceborne datasets. Results show that the Terra Nivea Ice Cap (TNIC) areal extent has decreased by 34% since the late 50s, while the Grinnell Ice Cap (GIC) extent was reduced by 20% since 1952. For both ice caps, rates of area reduction accelerated at the beginning of the 21st century. The glacier-wide mass balance for the GIC was −0.37 ± 0.21 m a−1 water equivalent (w.e.) for the 1952–2014 period, and −0.47 ± 0.16 m a−1 w.e. on the TNIC for the 1958/59–2014 period. More recently, the TNIC has experienced an accelerated rate of mass loss of −1.68 ± 0.36 m a−1 w.e. between 2007 and 2014. This rate is 5.6 times as negative when compared to the 1958/59–2007 period (−0.30 ± 0.19 m a−1 w.e.) and 2 times as negative when compared to the mass balance of other glaciers in the southern parts of Baffin Island over the 2003–2009 period. A similar acceleration in mass loss is suspected for the GIC, given the calculated elevation changes and the proximity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 4849-4883 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Berthier ◽  
C. Vincent ◽  
E. Magnússon ◽  
Á. Þ. Gunnlaugsson ◽  
P. Pitte ◽  
...  

Abstract. In response to climate change, most glaciers are losing mass and hence contribute to sea-level rise. Repeated and accurate mapping of their surface topography is required to estimate their mass balance and to extrapolate/calibrate sparse field glaciological measurements. In this study we evaluate the potential of Pléiades sub-meter stereo imagery to derive digital elevation models (DEMs) of glaciers and their elevation changes. Our five validation sites are located in Iceland, the European Alps, the Central Andes, Nepal and Antarctica. For all sites, nearly simultaneous field measurements were collected to evaluate the Pléiades DEMs. For Iceland, the Pléiades DEM is also compared to a Lidar DEM. The vertical biases of the Pléiades DEMs are less than 1 m if ground control points (GCPs) are used, but reach up to 6 m without GCPs. Even without GCPs, vertical biases can be reduced to a few decimetres by horizontal and vertical co-registration of the DEMs to reference altimetric data on ice-free terrain. Around these biases, the vertical precision of the Pléiades DEMs is ±1 m and even ±0.5 m on the flat glacier tongues (1-sigma confidence level). We also demonstrate the high potential of Pléiades DEMs for measuring seasonal, annual and multi-annual elevation changes with an accuracy of 1 m or better. The negative glacier-wide mass balances of the Argentière Glacier and Mer de Glace (−1.21 ± 0.16 and −1.19 ± 0.16 m.w.e. yr−1, respectively) are revealed by differencing SPOT5 and Pléiades DEMs acquired in August 2003 and 2012 demonstrating the continuing rapid glacial wastage in the Mont-Blanc area.


Author(s):  
Andri Suprayogi ◽  
Nurhadi Bashit

Large scale base map can be obtained by various methods, one of them is orthorectification process of remote sensing satellite imagery to eliminate the relief displacement caused by height variation of earth surface. To obtain a  map images with good quality,  it requires additional data such as sensor model in the form of rational polynomial coefficients (RPC), surface model data, and ground control points Satellite imageries with high resolution  file size are relatively large.  In order to process them,  high specification of hardwares were required. To overcome this by cutting only a portion of the images, based on certain study areas were suffer from of georeference lost so it would not be able to orthorectified. On the other hand,  in several remote sensing software such as ESA SNAP and Orfeo Toolbox (OTB)  subset or pixel extraction from satellite imagery,  preserve the imagery geometric sensor models. This research aimed at geometric accuracy of orthorectification carried out in a single scene of Pleiades Imagery within the Kepahiang Subdistrict, located at Kepahiang Regency, Bengkulu Province, by using DEMNAS and the imagery refined sensor mode, and ground control points taken using GPS Survey. Related with the raw imagery condition which consists of Panchromatic and multispectral bands, this study were separated to assembly, pan sharpening , and sensor model refinement stages prior to orthorectification carried out both in the original or full extent imagery and the result of subset extent imagery. After  these processses taken place, we measure the accuracy of each full and subset imagery.These procedures were carried out using Orfeo toolbox 6.6.0 in the Linux Mint 19 Operating system. From the process log, running time in total  were 7814.518  second for the full extent and 4321.95 seconds for the subset processess. And as a big data process, the total of full extent imageries was 83.15 GB  while the subset size  was  only 30.73 GB.  The relative accuracy of the full extent and its subset imagery were 0.431 meters. Accuracy of the  sensor model refinement process are  1.217 meters and 1.550 meters with GCP added, while the accuracu of  the orthorectifications results were  0.416 meters and 0.751 meters by using ICP.  Variation of execution time may caused by the data input size and complexity of the mathematical process carried out in each stages. Meanwhile,  the variation of accuracy may  caused by the check or control points placements above satellite Imagery which suffer from uncertainty when dealing with  the sub-pixel position or under 0.5 meters.


2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 2103-2141 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. S. Sørensen ◽  
S. B. Simonsen ◽  
K. Nielsen ◽  
P. Lucas-Picher ◽  
G. Spada ◽  
...  

Abstract. ICESat has provided surface elevation measurements of the ice sheets since the launch in January 2003, resulting in a unique data set for monitoring the changes of the cryosphere. Here we present a novel method for determining the mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet derived from ICESat altimetry data. Four different methods for deriving the elevation changes from the ICESat altimetry data set are used. This multi method approach gives an understanding of the complexity associated with deriving elevation changes from the ICESat altimetry data set. The altimetry can not stand alone in estimating the mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet. We find firn dynamics and surface densities to be important factors in deriving the mass loss from remote sensing altimetry. The volume change derived from ICESat data is corrected for firn compaction, vertical bedrock movement and an intercampaign elevation bias in the ICESat data. Subsequently, the corrected volume change is converted into mass change by surface density modelling. The firn compaction and density models are driven by a dynamically downscaled simulation of the HIRHAM5 regional climate model using ERA-Interim reanalysis lateral boundary conditions. We find an annual mass loss of the Greenland ice sheet of 210 ± 21 Gt yr−1 in the period from October 2003 to March 2008. This result is in good agreement with other studies of the Greenland ice sheet mass balance, based on different remote sensing techniques.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 2275-2291 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Berthier ◽  
C. Vincent ◽  
E. Magnússon ◽  
Á. Þ. Gunnlaugsson ◽  
P. Pitte ◽  
...  

Abstract. In response to climate change, most glaciers are losing mass and hence contribute to sea-level rise. Repeated and accurate mapping of their surface topography is required to estimate their mass balance and to extrapolate/calibrate sparse field glaciological measurements. In this study we evaluate the potential of sub-meter stereo imagery from the recently launched Pléiades satellites to derive digital elevation models (DEMs) of glaciers and their elevation changes. Our five evaluation sites, where nearly simultaneous field measurements were collected, are located in Iceland, the European Alps, the central Andes, Nepal and Antarctica. For Iceland, the Pléiades DEM is also compared to a lidar DEM. The vertical biases of the Pléiades DEMs are less than 1 m if ground control points (GCPs) are used, but reach up to 7 m without GCPs. Even without GCPs, vertical biases can be reduced to a few decimetres by horizontal and vertical co-registration of the DEMs to reference altimetric data on ice-free terrain. Around these biases, the vertical precision of the Pléiades DEMs is ±1 m and even ±0.5 m on the flat glacier tongues (1σ confidence level). Similar precision levels are obtained in the accumulation areas of glaciers and in Antarctica. We also demonstrate the high potential of Pléiades DEMs for measuring seasonal, annual and multi-annual elevation changes with an accuracy of 1 m or better if cloud-free images are available. The negative region-wide mass balances of glaciers in the Mont-Blanc area (−1.04 ± 0.23 m a−1 water equivalent, w.e.) are revealed by differencing Satellite pour l'Observation de la Terre 5 (SPOT 5) and Pléiades DEMs acquired in August 2003 and 2012, confirming the accelerated glacial wastage in the European Alps.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary M Miller ◽  
Joseph Hupy ◽  
Aishwarya Chandrasekaran ◽  
Guofan Shao ◽  
Songlin Fei

Abstract Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) serve as an excellent remote-sensing platform to fulfill an aerial imagery data collection niche previously unattainable in forestry by satellites and manned aircraft. However, for UAS-derived data to be spatially representative, a precise network of ground control points (GCP) is often required, which can be tedious and limit the logistical benefits of UAS rapid deployment capabilities, especially in densely forested areas. Therefore, methods for efficient data collection without GCPs are highly desired in UAS remote sensing. Here, we demonstrate the use of postprocessing kinematic (PPK) technology to obtain subcentimeter precision in datasets of forested areas without the need for placing GCPs. We evaluated two key measures, positional variability and time efficiency, of the PPK technology by comparing them to traditional GCP methods. Results show that PPK displays consistently higher positional precision than traditional GCP approaches. Moreover, PPK surveys and processing take less time to complete than traditional GCP methods and require fewer logistical steps, especially in image acquisition. The time and resource savings with PPK as compared to GCP processing are undeniable. We conclude that PPK technology provides a practical means to produce precise aerial forest surveys. Study Implications Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have enormous potential for lowering costs and streamlining practices in the forestry management and research community. Despite this potential, however, UAS forestry applications have been limited in scope and precision because of a reliance on using ground-based GPS technology to survey ground control points (GCP), which are time intensive and require an open view of the sky. Such a need for a ground-based GCP survey, along with forest canopy serving to limit and scatter incoming GPS signals, diminishes the potential for rapid deployment and precision mapping offered by UAS. Fortunately, Postprocessing-Kinematic (PPK) GPS technology lowers these barriers by providing the means to seamlessly gather highly precise UAS imagery without needing to conduct time-intensive ground-based surveys. This study compares the precision and time-effectiveness between traditional GCP marker surveys and PPK correction methods.


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