scholarly journals A new glacier inventory for the European Alps from Landsat TM scenes of 2003: challenges and results

2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (59) ◽  
pp. 144-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Paul ◽  
H. Frey ◽  
R. Le Bris
Keyword(s):  
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Glacier Inventory ◽  
Area Loss ◽  
Class Frequency ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Glacier Changes ◽  
Hydropower Production ◽  
Current Area ◽  
Elevation Model

AbstractMeltwater from glaciers in the European Alps plays an important role in hydropower production, and future glacier development is thus of economic interest. However, an up-to-date and alpine-wide inventory for accurate assessment of glacier changes or modelling of future glacier development has not hitherto been available. Here we present a new alpine-wide inventory (covering Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland) derived from ten Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) scenes acquired within 7 weeks in 2003. Combined with the globally available digital elevation model from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, topographic inventory parameters were derived for each of the 3770 mapped glaciers, covering 2050 km2. The area-class frequency distribution is very similar in all countries, and a mean northerly aspect (NW, N, NE) is clearly favoured (arithmetic counting). Mean glacier elevation is ~2900 m, with a small dependence on aspect. The total area loss since the previous glacier inventory (acquired around 1970±15 years) is roughly one-third, yielding a current area loss rate of ~2%a–1. Digital overlay of the outlines from the latest Austrian glacier inventory revealed differences in the interpretation of glacier extents that prohibit change assessment. A comparison of TM-derived outlines with manually digitized extents on a high-resolution IKONOS image returned 1.5% smaller glaciers with TM.

scholarly journals The second Chinese glacier inventory: data, methods and results

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (226) ◽  
pp. 357-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanqin Guo ◽  
Shiyin Liu ◽  
Junli Xu ◽  
Lizong Wu ◽  
Donghui Shangguan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽  
Differential Gps ◽  
Band Ratio ◽  
Glacier Inventory ◽  
Positioning Errors ◽  
Covered Area ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Acceptable Quality ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
Elevation Model

AbstractThe second Chinese glacier inventory was compiled based on 218 Landsat TM/ETM+ scenes acquired mainly during 2006–10. The widely used band ratio segmentation method was applied as the first step in delineating glacier outlines, and then intensive manual improvements were performed. The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model was used to derive altitudinal attributes of glaciers. The boundaries of some glaciers measured by real-time kinematic differential GPS or digitized from high-resolution images were used as references to validate the accuracy of the methods used to delineate glaciers, which resulted in positioning errors of ±10 m for manually improved clean-ice outlines and ±30 m for manually digitized outlines of debris-covered parts. The glacier area error of the compiled inventory, evaluated using these two positioning accuracies, was ±3.2%. The compiled parts of the new inventory have a total area of 43 087 km2, in which 1723 glaciers were covered by debris, with a total debris-covered area of 1494 km2. The area of uncompiled glaciers from the digitized first Chinese glacier inventory is ∼8753 km2, mainly distributed in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, where no images of acceptable quality for glacier outline delineation can be found during 2006–10.

scholarly journals DISTRIBUTION AND EVOLUTION OF ICE APRONS IN A CHANGING CLIMATE IN THE MONT-BLANC MASSIF (WESTERN EUROPEAN ALPS)

2021 ◽  
Vol XLIII-B3-2021 ◽  
pp. 469-475
Author(s):  
S. Kaushik ◽  
L. Ravanel ◽  
F. Magnin ◽  
Y. Yan ◽  
E. Trouve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Slope Aspect ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Area Loss ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Optical Satellite Images ◽  
Steep Slopes ◽  
Mont Blanc Massif

Abstract. Ice Apron (IA) is a poorly studied ice feature, commonly existing in all the world’s major mountain regions. This study aims to map the locations of the IAs in the Mont Blanc massif (MBM), making use of the very high-resolution optical satellite images from 2001, 2012 and 2019. 423 IAs were identified and accurately delineated in the MBM on the images from 2019, and their topographic characteristics were studied. We generated our own Digital Elevation Model (DEM) at 4 m resolution since the freely available products predominantly suffer from significant inconsistencies, especially in steep mountain areas. Results show that most IAs exist at elevations above the regional Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA), on steep slopes, on concave surfaces, on northern and southern aspects and on the most rugged terrains. They are also commonly associated with steep slope glaciers as 85% of them occur on these glaciers’ headwalls. A comparison between 2001 and 2019 shows that IAs have lost around 29% of their area over a period of 18 years. This is significant and the rate of area loss is very alarming in comparison with the larger glacier bodies. We also studied the effect of topographic parameters on the area loss. We found that topographic factors like slope, aspect, curvature, elevation and Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI) strongly influence the rate of area loss of IAs.

scholarly journals Hasty retreat of glaciers in northern Patagonia from 1985 to 2011

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (224) ◽  
pp. 1033-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Paul ◽  
Nico Mölg
Keyword(s):  
Climate Trends ◽  
Change Rate ◽  
The North ◽  
Area Loss ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Glacier Changes ◽  
Southern Patagonia ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Patagonian Andes ◽  
High Elevations

AbstractMapping changes in glacier extent from repeat optical satellite data has revealed widespread glacier decline in nearly all regions of the world over the past few decades. While numerous studies have documented the changes of the outlet glaciers of the Northern and Southern Patagonia Icefields (NPI/SPI), information about glacier changes in the Patagonian Andes (to the north of the NPI) is much scarcer. Here we present an assessment of area changes for glaciers mainly located in the Palena district of Chile based on glacier inventories for 1985, 2000 and 2011 that were derived from two consecutive Landsat scenes and a digital elevation model. The analysis revealed a dramatic area decline for the largest glaciers and total area loss of 25% from 1985 to 2011. The lower parts of several larger glaciers (>10 km2) melted completely. Area loss below 1000 m elevation was 50–100% in both periods, and 374 glaciers out of 1664 disappeared. The number of proglacial lakes increased from 223 to 327 and their area expanded by 11.6 km2 (59%) between 1985 and 2011. Seasonal snow persisting at high elevations in the 2011 scene was a major obstacle to glacier delineation, so the obtained area change rate of ~1% a–1 over the entire period is a lower-bound estimate. The observed climate trends (e.g. cooling in Puerto Montt) are in contrast to the observed shrinkage.

scholarly journals MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THE HYDROGRAPHIC BASIN OF JAUQUARA RIVER IN THE TRANSITION BETWEEN THE CERRADO AND AMAZON BIOMES IN MATO GROSSO-BRAZIL

FLORESTA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 325
Author(s):  
Gabriel Americo Cassettari ◽  
Tadeu Miranda De Queiroz
Keyword(s):  
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Circularity Index ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Basin Area ◽  
Morphometric Characterization ◽  
Effective Water ◽  
Unpublished Information

This study aimed to perform the Jauquara river watershed morphometric characterization. To watershed delimitation was used SRTM 30 type Digital Elevation Model (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, with spatial resolution of 30 m) provided by USGS Earth Explorer platform. The geographic information system used to watershed delimitation process and maps generation was ArcGIS 10.1 from ESRI®. The morphometric variables calculus was based on classic methodologies of Applied Hydrology. The watershed has an area of 1408,03 km2 and perimeter of 288,43 km with compactness coefficient and circularity index of Kc = 2.15 and Ic = 0.21, respectively, which show an elongated shape. The drainage was classified as 5th order, reinforcing the configuration of the drainage network with a wide hydric distribution. The predominant altitude range is between 368 and 552 m, which corresponds to an area of 478.10 km2. It was observed that there is a predominance of smooth-wavy and undulated reliefs (3-8%, 8-20% slope), which correspond to 38,05% and 23,04% of the total basin area respectively. The morphometric characterization of the basin made it possible to obtain unpublished information that contributes to the decision making regarding the effective water management in the studied area, being this a guiding study for other works

scholarly journals Surface elevation and mass changes of all Swiss glaciers 1980–2010

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 525-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fischer ◽  
M. Huss ◽  
M. Hoelzle
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Volume Changes ◽  
Glacier Inventory ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Source Data ◽  
Geodetic Mass Balance

Abstract. Since the mid-1980s, glaciers in the European Alps have shown widespread and accelerating mass losses. This article presents glacier-specific changes in surface elevation, volume and mass balance for all glaciers in the Swiss Alps from 1980 to 2010. Together with glacier outlines from the 1973 inventory, the DHM25 Level 1 digital elevation models (DEMs) for which the source data over glacierized areas were acquired from 1961 to 1991 are compared to the swissALTI3D DEMs from 2008 to 2011 combined with the new Swiss Glacier Inventory SGI2010. Due to the significant differences in acquisition dates of the source data used, mass changes are temporally homogenized to directly compare individual glaciers or glacierized catchments. Along with an in-depth accuracy assessment, results are validated against volume changes from independent photogrammetrically derived DEMs of single glaciers. Observed volume changes are largest between 2700 and 2800 m a.s.l. and remarkable even above 3500 m a.s.l. The mean geodetic mass balance is −0.62 ± 0.07 m w.e. yr−1 for the entire Swiss Alps over the reference period 1980–2010. For the main hydrological catchments, it ranges from −0.52 to −1.07 m w.e. yr−1. The overall volume loss calculated from the DEM differencing is −22.51 ± 1.76 km3.

scholarly journals The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Digital Elevation Model as an alternative data source for deriving hydrological characteristics in lowland catchment — Rogożynek catchment case study

2009 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Wasilewski ◽  
Jarosław Chormański
Keyword(s):  
Digital Elevation Model ◽  
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽  
Srtm Dem ◽  
Hydrological Characteristics ◽  
Wetspa Model ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Data Source ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Topography Data

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Digital Elevation Model as an alternative data source for deriving hydrological characteristics in lowland catchment — Rogożynek catchment case study This paper describes possibility of supplementing digital topography data needed for hydrologic modeling (WetSpa model) of lowland catchment with existing, freely available DEM data obtained from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission launched on February 11th, 2000. Rogożynek basin (Upper Biebrza) as case study is given. Authors compared three DEMs: topographic — TOPO DEM 20 (20 m resolution), radar — SRTM DEM 90 (90 m res.) and resampled radar — SRTM DEM 20 (20 m res.). There were several characteristics compared and analyzed like: relative height differences, slopes, generated river network and generated subwatersheds (subbasins).

scholarly journals The new remote-sensing-derived Swiss glacier inventory: I. Methods

2002 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Paul ◽  
Andreas Kääb ◽  
Max Maisch ◽  
Tobias Kellenberger ◽  
Wilfried Haeberli
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Data ◽  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Glacier Inventory ◽  
Ratio Image ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
First Results ◽  
Gis Environment ◽  
Elevation Model

AbstractA new Swiss glacier inventory is to be compiled from satellite data for the year 2000. The study presented here describes two major tasks: an accuracy assessment of different methods for glacier classification with Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data and a digital elevation model (DEM); the geographical information system (GIS)-based methods for automatic extraction of individual glaciers from classified satellite data and the computation of three-dimensional glacier parameters (such as minimum, maximum and median elevation or slope and orientation) by fusion with a DEM. First results obtained by these methods are presented in Part II of this paper (Kääb and others, 2002). Thresholding of a ratio image from TM4 and TM5 reveals the best-suited glacier map. The computation of glacier parameters in a GIS environment is efficient and suitable for worldwide application. The methods developed contribute to the U. S. Geological Survey-led Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS) project which is currently compiling a global inventory of land ice masses within the framework of global glacier monitoring (Haeberli and others, 2000).

scholarly journals Geomorpho90m - Global high-resolution geomorphometry layers: empirical evaluation and accuracy assessment

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Amatulli ◽  
Daniel McInerney ◽  
Tushar Sethi ◽  
Peter Strobl ◽  
Sami Domisch
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽  
The United States ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Environmental Models ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Elevation Model

Topographical relief is composed of the vertical and horizontal variations of the Earth's terrain and drives processes in geography, climatology, hydrology, and ecology. Its assessment and characterisation is fundamental for various types of modelling and simulation analyses. In this regard, the Multi-Error-Removed Improved Terrain (MERIT) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is the best global, high-resolution DEM currently available at a 3 arc-seconds (90 m) resolution. This is an improved product as multiple error components have been corrected from the underlying Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM3) and ALOS World 3D - 30 m (AW3D30) DEMs. To depict topographical variations worldwide, we developed the Geomorpho90m dataset comprising of different geomorphometry features derived from the MERIT-DEM. The fully standardised geomorphometry variables consist of layers that describe (i) the rate of change using the first and second order derivatives, (ii) the ruggedness, and (iii) the geomorphology landform. To assess how remaining artefacts in the MERIT-DEM could affect the derived topographic variables, we compared our results with the same variables generated using the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) DEM, which is the highest quality DEM for the United States of America. We compared the two data sources by calculating the first order derivative (i.e., the rate of change through space measured in degrees) of the difference between a MERIT-derived vs. a 3DEP-derived topographic variable. All newly-created topographic variables are readily available at resolutions of 3 and 7.5 arc-seconds under the WGS84 geographic system, and at a spatial resolution of 100 m under the Equi7 projection. The newly-developed Geomorpho90m dataset provides a globally standardised dataset for environmental models and analyses in the field of geography, geology, hydrology, ecology and biogeography.

scholarly journals Geomorphometry of drainage basins: a global view from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1929-1949
Author(s):  
P. L. Guth
Keyword(s):  
Digital Elevation Model ◽  
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽  
Global Distribution ◽  
Drainage Basins ◽  
Global View ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Geomorphometric Parameters

Abstract. A suite of 42 geomorphometric parameters for each of 26 272 drainage basins larger than 100 km2 from the Hydrosheds Shuttle Radar Topography digital elevation model shows the global distribution of Strahler order for streams and drainage basins; the largest basins are order 9. Many common parameters depend both on the size of the basin, and the scale of the digital elevation model used for the computations. These drainage basins display the typical longitudinal stream profiles, but the major basins tend to be more convex than the smaller basins.

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