scholarly journals Spatial and temporal analysis of the snow line in the alps : based on NOAA-AVHRR data

2002 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Wunderle ◽  
M. Droz ◽  
H. Kleindienst

Abstract. A method to derive the snow line elevation using NOAA-AVHRR satellite data in combination with a digital elevation model is presented. The AVHRR sensor enables the frequent Observation of snow cover with a sufficiently high temporal resolution. The definition of the snow line and the impact of geocoding errors, as well as errors due to misclassification, are discussed. A comparison of the NOAA-AVHRR data with data from the higher resolution IRS-WiFS indicates that even at a spatial resolution of 1.1 km, a quantitative analysis of the snow line elevation is possible. The influence of different winter conditions in Switzerland on the elevation of the snow line is reflected in satellite data from 1990,1996 and 1999. The results of the investigation were, firstly the presentation of the spatial pattern of the average snow line elevation, secondly the derivation of snow line signatures for three regions. These were then compared with the Overall alpine snow line signature.

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhu ◽  
Xuejun Liu ◽  
Jing Zhao ◽  
Jianjun Cao ◽  
Xiaolei Wang ◽  
...  

Topographic factors such as slope and aspect are essential parameters in depicting the structure and morphology of a terrain surface. We study the effect of the number of points in the neighbourhood of a digital elevation model (DEM) interpolation method on mean slope, mean aspect, and RMSEs of slope and aspect from the interpolated DEM. As the moving least squares (MLS) method can maintain the inherent properties and other characteristics of a surface, this method is chosen for DEM interpolation. Three areas containing different types of topographic features are selected for study. Simulated data from a Gauss surface is also used for comparison. First, the impact of the number of points on the DEM root mean square error (RMSE) is analysed. The DEM RMSE in the three study areas decreases gradually with the number of points in the neighbourhood. In addition, the effect of the number of points in the neighbourhood on mean slope and mean aspect was studied across varying topographies through regression analysis. The two variables respond differently to changes in terrain. However, the RMSEs of the slope and aspect in all study areas are logarithmically related to the number of points in the neighbourhood and the values decrease uniformly as the number of points in the neighbourhood increases. With more points in the neighbourhood, the RMSEs of the slope and aspect are not sensitive to topography differences and the same trends are observed for the three studied quantities. Results for the Gauss surface are similar. Finally, this study analyses the spatial distribution of slope and aspect errors. The slope error is concentrated in ridges, valleys, steep-slope areas, and ditch edges while the aspect error is concentrated in ridges, valleys, and flat regions. With more points in the neighbourhood, the number of grid cells in which the slope error is greater than 15° is gradually reduced. With similar terrain types and data sources, if the calculation efficiency is not a concern, sufficient points in the spatial autocorrelation range should be analysed in the neighbourhood to maximize the accuracy of the slope and aspect. However, selecting between 10 and 12 points in the neighbourhood is economical.


Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sansar Raj ◽  
Thimmaiah

Landslides are one of the most damaging geological hazards in mountainous regions such as the Himalayas. The Himalayan region is, tectonically, the most active region in the world that is highly vulnerable to landslides and associated hazards. Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) is a useful tool for understanding the probability of the spatial distribution of future landslide regions. In this research, the landslide inventory datasets were collected during the field study of the Kullu valley in July 2018, and 149 landslide locations were collected as global positioning system (GPS) points. The present study evaluates the LSM using three different spatial resolution of the digital elevation model (DEM) derived from three different sources. The data-driven traditional frequency ratio (FR) model was used for this study. The FR model was used for this research to assess the impact of the different spatial resolution of DEMs on the LSM. DEM data was derived from Advanced Land Observing Satellite-1 (ALOS) Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) ALOS-PALSAR for 12.5 m, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Global for 30 m, and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) for 90 m. As an input, we used eight landslide conditioning factors based on the study area and topographic features of the Kullu valley in the Himalayas. The ASTER-Global 30m DEM showed higher accuracy of 0.910 compared to 0.839 for 12.5 m and 0.824 for 90 m DEM resolution. This study shows that that 30 m resolution is better suited for LSM for the Kullu valley region in the Himalayas. The LSM can be used for mitigation and future planning for spatial planners and developmental authorities in the region.


Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 430
Author(s):  
Michał Sobala ◽  
Urszula Myga-Piątek ◽  
Bartłomiej Szypuła

A viewshed analysis is of great importance in mountainous areas characterized by high landscape values. The aim of this research was to determine the impact of reforestation occurring on former pasturelands on changes in the viewshed, and to quantify changes in the surface of glades. We combine a horizontal and a vertical approach to landscape analysis. The changes in non-forest areas and the viewshed from viewpoints located in glades were calculated using historical cartographic materials and a more recent Digital Elevation Model and Digital Surface Model. An analysis was conducted using a Visibility tool in ArcGIS. The non-forest areas decreased in the period 1848–2015. The viewshed in the majority of viewpoints also decreased in the period 1848–2015. In the majority of cases, the maximal viewsheds were calculated in 1879/1885 and 1933 (43.8% of the analyzed cases), whereas the minimal ones were calculated in 2015 (almost 57.5% of analyzed cases). Changes in the viewshed range from 0.2 to 23.5 km2 with half the cases analyzed being no more than 1.4 km2. The results indicate that forest succession on abandoned glades does not always cause a decline in the viewshed. Deforestation in neighboring areas may be another factor that has an influence on the decline.


2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Nazari-Sharabian ◽  
Masoud Taheriyoun ◽  
Moses Karakouzian

Abstract This study investigates the impact of different digital elevation model (DEM) resolutions on the topological attributes and simulated runoff, as well as the sensitivity of runoff parameters in the Mahabad Dam watershed in Iran. The watershed and streamlines were delineated in ArcGIS, and the hydrologic analyses were performed using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The sensitivity analysis on runoff parameters was performed, using the Sequential Uncertainties FItting Ver. 2 algorithm, in the SWAT Calibration and Uncertainty Procedures (SWAT-CUP) program. The results indicated that the sensitivity of runoff parameters, watershed surface area, and elevations changed under different DEM resolutions. As the distribution of slopes changed using different DEMs, surface parameters were most affected. Furthermore, higher amounts of runoff were generated when DEMs with finer resolutions were implemented. In comparison with the observed value of 8 m3/s at the watershed outlet, the 12.5 m DEM showed more realistic results (6.77 m3/s). Comparatively, the 12.5 m DEM generated 0.74% and 2.73% more runoff compared with the 30 and 90 m DEMs, respectively. The findings of this study indicate that in order to reduce computation time, researchers may use DEMs with coarser resolutions at the expense of minor decreases in accuracy.


2007 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 303-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gernot R. Koboltschnig ◽  
Wolfgang Schöner ◽  
Massimiliano Zappa ◽  
Hubert Holzmann

AbstractThis paper presents a comparative study at a small and highly glacierized catchment area in the Austrian Alps, where runoff under the extreme hot and dry conditions of summer 2003 was simulated based on two different glacier extents: the 2003 glacier extent and the 29% larger 1979 extent. Runoff was simulated applying the hydrological water balance model PREVAH at a high temporal resolution. For this purpose, the catchment area was subdivided into hydrological response units based on digital elevation model and land-cover data. The model was driven by meteorological data from the observatory at Hoher Sonnblick, situated at the highest point of the catchment area (3106ma.s.l.). We were interested in the effect the change in glacier extent would have on the annual and monthly water balance and the hydrograph of hourly discharges. Results of the 2003 and the hypothetical 1979 simulation show main differences in runoff for the period July–August depending on a higher ice-melt contribution. Due to the same meteorological input, both simulations calculate the same snow accumulation and snowmelt. Annual discharge in 1979 would have been 12% higher and hourly runoff up to 35% higher than in 2003.


2002 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Paul ◽  
Andreas Kääb ◽  
Max Maisch ◽  
Tobias Kellenberger ◽  
Wilfried Haeberli

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).


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimiliano Alvioli ◽  
Ivan Marchesini ◽  
Fausto Guzzetti

Slope units are portions of terrain, defined by the general requirement of maximizing homogeneity within a single unit and heterogeneity between different ones. Slope units are being used to describe a variety of processes and to assess different natural hazards. An unambiguous and reproducible definition of slope units based on quantitative hydrologic and topographic criteria was previously provided by the r.slopeunits software to automatically draw slope unit polygons on a digital surface. The software contains an adaptive algorithm allowing for a flexible yet well-defined slope unit delineation, by means of an iterative procedure. It requires a digital elevation model and a few input parameters, whose values must be optimized in a sound way, by means of multiple software runs and a proper objective function. The code is designed to quickly produce results on large areas, and in this work we devised an optimization algorithm to delineate slope units over the whole Italian peninsula. We outline the rationale of the optimization procedure for a general purpose slope unit delineation within very large areas. We present preliminary results in Central Italy, specifically a slope unit mosaic in the whole area affected by the 2016 earthquake sequence. The procedure represents a well-defined framework for slope unit delineation over the whole of Italy.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawan Thapa ◽  
Narayan Thapa

Abstract Background: The impact of flooding rises due to unplanned settlements, especially in developing and underdeveloped countries. This study tries to address these issues by mapping flood risk places and assessing their impact on population and household.Methods: This study used the dataset available in Google Earth Engine (GEE), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Central Bureau Statistics (CBS), Earth Data for preparing slope, drainage density, digital elevation model, rainfall, land use map, and soil map. These maps create using GEE and QGIS through overlay analysis that has two factors. The one is influence and other slopes, and it has provided high and low value according to its role on flooding.Results: The risk assessment shows around twenty-four percent population is at higher risk, whereas more than three thousand settlements are prone to flooding. It depicts a significant increasing trend of floods in the Morang district.Conclusion: This settlement risk map can help determine the flood safe and very high-risk areas in the Morang district. It will support residential places' planning by the local government, urban planners, and community people to reduce flooding risk.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawan Thapa ◽  
Narayan Thapa

Abstract Background: The impact of flooding rises due to unplanned settlements, especially in developing countries. This study tries to address these issues by mapping flood risk places and assessing their impact on population and household.Methods: This study used the dataset available in Google Earth Engine (GEE), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Central Bureau Statistics (CBS), Earth Data for preparing slope, drainage density, digital elevation model, rainfall, land use map, and soil map. These maps create using GEE and QGIS through overlay analysis that has two factors. The one is influence and other slopes, and it has provided high and low value according to its role on flooding.Results: The risk assessment shows around twenty-four percent population is at higher risk, whereas more than three thousand settlements are prone to flooding. It depicts a significant increasing trend of floods in the Morang district.Conclusion: This settlement risk map can help determine the flood safe and very high-risk areas in the Morang district. It will support residential places' planning by the local government, urban planners, and community people to reduce flooding risk.


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