scholarly journals Glacier changes in the Karakoram region mapped by multi-mission satellite imagery

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 4065-4099 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rankl ◽  
S. Vijay ◽  
C. Kienholz ◽  
M. Braun
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Landsat Imagery ◽  
Length Distribution ◽  
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Glacier Changes ◽  
Elevation Measurement

Abstract. Glaciers in the Karakoram region are known to show stable and advancing terminus positions or surging behavior, which contrasts the worldwide retreat of many mountain glaciers. The present study uses Landsat imagery to derive an updated and extended glacier inventory. Surging and advancing glaciers and their annual termini position changes are mapped in addition. Out of 1334 glaciers, 134 show advancing or surging behavior, with a marked increase since 2000. The length distribution of surging glaciers differs significantly from non-surging glaciers. More than 50% of the advancing/surging glaciers are shorter than 10 km. Besides a regional spatial coverage of ice dynamics, high-resolution SAR data allows to investigate very small and comparably fast flowing glaciers (up to 1.8 m day−1). Such data enables mapping of temporal changes of ice dynamics of individual small surging or advancing glaciers. In a further case study, glacier volume changes of three glaciers around Braldu Glacier are quantified during a surge event comparing digital elevation models from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and the new TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement (TanDEM-X) Mission. We recommend regular acquisitions of high resolution (bi-static) SAR satellite data and further exploitation of the archives in order to generate an improved database for monitoring changes, and to at least partially compensate for the lack of in-situ and long-term climatological measurements in the Karakoram region.

scholarly journals Glacier elevation and mass changes over the central Karakoram region estimated from TanDEM-X and SRTM/X-SAR digital elevation models

2016 ◽  
Vol 57 (71) ◽  
pp. 273-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Rankl ◽  
Matthias Braun
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Digital Elevation Models ◽  
Mass Balances ◽  
Freshwater Resources ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Glacier Changes ◽  
Kinematic Waves ◽  
Elevation Changes ◽  
River Communities

AbstractSnow cover and glaciers in the Karakoram region are important freshwater resources for many down-river communities as they provide water for irrigation and hydropower. A better understanding of current glacier changes is hence an important informational baseline. We present glacier elevation changes in the central Karakoram region using TanDEM-X and SRTM/X-SAR DEM differences between 2000 and 2012. We calculated elevation differences for glaciers with advancing and stable termini or surge-type glaciers separately using an inventory from a previous study. Glaciers with stable and advancing termini since the 1970s showed nearly balanced elevation changes of -0.09 ±0.12 m a-1 on average or mass budgets of -0.01 ±0.02Gt a-1 (using a density of 850 kg m-3). Our findings are in accordance with previous studies indicating stable or only slightly negative glacier mass balances during recent years in the Karakoram. The high-resolution elevation changes revealed distinct patterns of mass relocation at glacier surfaces during active surge cycles. The formation of kinematic waves at quiescent surge-type glaciers could be observed and points towards future active surge behaviour. Our study reveals the potential of the TanDEM-X mission to estimate geodetic glacier mass balances, but also points to still existing uncertainties induced by the geodetic method.

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 UPDATES OF ‘AW3D30’ ALOS GLOBAL DIGITAL SURFACE MODEL IN ANTARCTICA WITH OTHER OPEN ACCESS DATASETS

2021 ◽  
Vol XLIII-B4-2021 ◽  
pp. 401-408
Author(s):  
J. Takaku ◽  
T. Tadono ◽  
M. Doutsu ◽  
F. Ohgushi ◽  
H. Kai
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Grid Spacing ◽  
Filling Process ◽  
Aster Gdem ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Elevation Measurement

Abstract. In 2016, the first processing of the semi-global digital surface models (DSMs) utilizing all the archives of stereo imageries derived from the Panchromatic Remote sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping (PRISM) onboard the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) was successfully completed. The dataset was freely released to the public in 30 m grid spacing as the ‘ALOS World 3D - 30m (AW3D30)’, which was generated from its original version processed in 5 m or 2.5 m grid spacing. The dataset has been updated since then to improve the absolute/relative height accuracies with additional calibrations. However, the most significant update that should be applied for improving the data usability is the filling of void areas, which correspond to approx. 10% of semiglobal coverage, mostly due to cloud covers. In 2020, we completed the filling process by using other open-access digital elevation models (DEMs) such as Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM, Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Global DEM (ASTER GDEM), ArcticDEM, etc., except for Antarctica. In this paper, we report on the filling process of the remaining voids in Antarctica by using other open-access DEMs such as Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA) DSM, TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement (TanDEM-X, TDX) 90m DEM, and ASTER GDEM to complete the void-free semi-global AW3D30 datasets.

Global glacier monitoring with TanDEM-X remote sensing – advances, challenges and requirements from the perspective of a multi-decadal approach        

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Malz ◽  
Christian Sommer ◽  
David Farias ◽  
Thorsten Seehaus ◽  
Matthias Braun
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Atmospheric Environment ◽  
Tropical Andes ◽  
Complete Space ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Multi Temporal ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques

<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>

scholarly journals A Relief Dependent Evaluation of Digital Elevation Models on Different Scales for Northern Chile

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kramm ◽  
Hoffmeister
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Digital Elevation Models ◽  
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽  
Northern Chile ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Elevation Data ◽  
Position Index

Many geoscientific computations are directly influenced by the resolution and accuracy of digital elevation models (DEMs). Therefore, knowledge about the accuracy of DEMs is essential to avoid misleading results. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation of the vertical accuracy of globally available DEMs from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) World 3D and TanDEM-X WorldDEM™ was conducted for a large region in Northern Chile. Additionally, several very high-resolution DEM datasets were derived from Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) 6/7 and Pléiades stereo satellite imagery for smaller areas. All datasets were evaluated with three reference datasets, namely elevation points from both Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation (ICESat) satellites, as well as very accurate high-resolution elevation data derived by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). The accuracy was also evaluated with regard to the existing relief by relating the accuracy results to slope, terrain ruggedness index (TRI) and topographic position index (TPI). For all datasets with global availability, the highest overall accuracies are reached by TanDEM-X WorldDEM™ and the lowest by ASTER Global DEM (GDEM). On the local scale, Pléiades DEMs showed a slightly higher accuracy as SPOT imagery. Generally, accuracy highly depends on topography and the error is rising up to four times for high resolution DEMs and up to eight times for low-resolution DEMs in steeply sloped terrain compared to flat landscapes.

scholarly journals Assessing the influence of DEM source on derived streamline and catchment boundary accuracy

Water SA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (4 October) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zama Eric Mashimbye ◽  
Willem Petrus De Clercq ◽  
Adriaan Van Niekerk
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Figure Of Merit ◽  
Euclidean Distance ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Absolute Error ◽  
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Elevation Model

Accurate DEM-derived streamlines and catchment boundaries are essential for hydrological modelling. Due to the popularity of hydrological parameters derived mainly from free DEMs, it is essential to investigate the accuracy of these parameters. This study compared the spatial accuracy of streamlines and catchment boundaries derived from available digital elevation models in South Africa. Two versions of Stellenbosch University DEMs (SUDEM5 and DEMSA2), the second version of the 30 m advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer global digital elevation model (ASTER GDEM2), the 30 and 90 m shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM30 and SRTM90 DEM), and the 90 m Water Research Commission DEM (WRC DEM) were considered. As a reference, a 1 m GEOEYE DEM was generated from GeoEye stereo images. Catchment boundaries and streamlines were extracted from the DEMs using the Arc Hydro module. A reference catchment boundary was generated from the GEOEYE DEM and verified during field visits. Reference streamlines were digitised at a scale of 1:10 000 from the 1 m orthorectified GeoEye images. Visual inspection, as well as quantitative measures such as correctness index, mean absolute error, root mean squares error and figure of merit index were used to validate the results. The study affirmed that high resolution (<30 m) DEMs produce more accurate parameters and that DEM source and resampling techniques also play a role. However, if high resolution DEMs are not available, the 30 m SRTM DEM is recommended as its vertical accuracy was relatively high and the quality of the streamlines and catchment boundary was good. In addition, it was found that the novel Euclidean distance-based MAE and RMSE proposed in this study to compare reference and DEM-extracted raster datasets of different resolutions is a more reliable indicator of geometrical accuracy than the correctness and figure of merit indices.

scholarly journals A NEW HIGH-RESOLUTION ELEVATION MODEL OF GREENLAND DERIVED FROM TANDEM-X

2016 ◽  
Vol III-7 ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Wessel ◽  
A. Bertram ◽  
A. Gruber ◽  
S. Bemm ◽  
S. Dech
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Coastal Regions ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Full Coverage ◽  
Ground Control Points ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
X Band ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Elevation Measurement

In this paper we present for the first time the new digital elevation model (DEM) for Greenland produced by the TanDEM-X (TerraSAR add-on for digital elevation measurement) mission. The new, full coverage DEM of Greenland has a resolution of 0.4 arc seconds corresponding to 12 m. It is composed of more than 7.000 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) DEM scenes. X-Band SAR penetrates the snow and ice pack by several meters depending on the structures within the snow, the acquisition parameters, and the dielectricity constant of the medium. Hence, the resulting SAR measurements do not represent the surface but the elevation of the mean phase center of the backscattered signal. Special adaptations on the nominal TanDEM-X DEM generation are conducted to maintain these characteristics and not to raise or even deform the DEM to surface reference data. For the block adjustment, only on the outer coastal regions ICESat (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite) elevations as ground control points (GCPs) are used where mostly rock and surface scattering predominates. Comparisons with ICESat data and snow facies are performed. In the inner ice and snow pack, the final X-Band InSAR DEM of Greenland lies up to 10 m below the ICESat measurements. At the outer coastal regions it corresponds well with the GCPs. The resulting DEM is outstanding due to its resolution, accuracy and full coverage. It provides a high resolution dataset as basis for research on climate change in the arctic.

scholarly journals A NEW HIGH-RESOLUTION ELEVATION MODEL OF GREENLAND DERIVED FROM TANDEM-X

2016 ◽  
Vol III-7 ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Wessel ◽  
A. Bertram ◽  
A. Gruber ◽  
S. Bemm ◽  
S. Dech
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Coastal Regions ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Full Coverage ◽  
Ground Control Points ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
X Band ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Elevation Measurement

In this paper we present for the first time the new digital elevation model (DEM) for Greenland produced by the TanDEM-X (TerraSAR add-on for digital elevation measurement) mission. The new, full coverage DEM of Greenland has a resolution of 0.4 arc seconds corresponding to 12 m. It is composed of more than 7.000 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) DEM scenes. X-Band SAR penetrates the snow and ice pack by several meters depending on the structures within the snow, the acquisition parameters, and the dielectricity constant of the medium. Hence, the resulting SAR measurements do not represent the surface but the elevation of the mean phase center of the backscattered signal. Special adaptations on the nominal TanDEM-X DEM generation are conducted to maintain these characteristics and not to raise or even deform the DEM to surface reference data. For the block adjustment, only on the outer coastal regions ICESat (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite) elevations as ground control points (GCPs) are used where mostly rock and surface scattering predominates. Comparisons with ICESat data and snow facies are performed. In the inner ice and snow pack, the final X-Band InSAR DEM of Greenland lies up to 10 m below the ICESat measurements. At the outer coastal regions it corresponds well with the GCPs. The resulting DEM is outstanding due to its resolution, accuracy and full coverage. It provides a high resolution dataset as basis for research on climate change in the arctic.

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.

Ice loss in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego glaciers during the first two decades of the 21st century

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Farías ◽  
Philipp Malz ◽  
Thorsten Seehaus ◽  
Christian Sommer ◽  
Lukas Sochor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽  
Sar Interferometry ◽  
Tierra Del Fuego ◽  
Synthetic Aperture ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Glacier Changes ◽  
Southern Patagonia ◽  
Using Data

&lt;p&gt;Patagonian and Tierra del Fuego Glaciers are among the highest contributors to sea level rise in the Southern Hemisphere. Although this is an area gaining more attention through recent studies, continuous remotely sensed monitoring is only nascent, but crucial for a better understanding of the glacier changes in this region. Here, we present an update of the glacier elevation and mass changes of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego glaciers, applying differential synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry using data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and the German TerraSAR-X-Add-on for Digital Elevation Measurements mission (TanDEM-X). Our study covers the period between 2000 and 2019. Here, we particularly estimated the glacier mass loss regionalized for the Northern and Southern Patagonia Icefield (NPI and SPI) and Tierra del Fuego, which includes the Icefields of Cordillera Darwin and Gran Campo Nevado.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our preliminary results indicate mass loss rates of 4.75 &amp;#177; 0.35 Gt a-1 for NPI for the period of 2000-2019. Results for both other regions will be also presented. Alongside an accuracy assessment based on GNSS field campaign data and satellite laser altimetry. &amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

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