Glacier mapping in high mountains using DEMs, Landsat and ASTER data

Glaciers are sensitive climate indicators and thus subject to monitoring of environmental and climate changes. Remote sensing techniques are often the only way to analyze glaciers in remote mountains and to monitor a large number of glaciers at the same time. Although several glacier mapping methods exist, often, results are still not good enough for in-depth conclusions. In particular, this is true for debris-covered glaciers. For the Bernina Group in the Swiss Alps and for the northern Tien Shan in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan a glacier mapping was undertaken employing digital elevation models (DEMs). DEMs were generated from ASTER and SRTM3 data and compared with each other and -for the Bernina Group- compared with the Swiss DHM25L2. Whereas ASTER DEM elevations are too high on average, SRTM3 DEM elevations are slightly too low. However, both DEMs are of good use for glacier delineation. The glacier mapping approach includes Landsat TM4/TM5-ratio images, multispectral and morphometric analysis. Results are satisfying for debris-free and larger debris-covered glaciers in both study areas. The next step should be an automated glacier mapping method.

[1]  A. Kääb.  Combination of SRTM3 and repeat ASTER data for deriving alpine glacier flow velocities in the Bhutan Himalaya , 2005 .

[2]  K. Jacobsen.  Analysis of Digital Elevation Models Based on Space Information , 2005 .

[3]  Frank Paul,et al.  Comparison of TM Derived Glacier Areas With Higher Resolution Data Sets , 2001 .

[4]  Jeffrey S. Kargel,et al.  Remote-sensing science and technology for studying glacier processes in high Asia , 2000, Annals of Glaciology.

[5]  Tobias Bolch,et al.  Qualitätsanalyse digitaler ASTER-Geländemodelle von Hochgebirgsregionen (Cerro Sillajhuay, Chile/Bolivien) , 2003, KN - Journal of Cartography and Geographic Information.

[6]  T. Bolch,et al.  Using ASTER and SRTM DEMs for studying geomorphology and glaciation in high mountain areas , 2005 .

[7]  Jeffrey A. Olsenholler,et al.  Geomorphometry of Cerro Sillajhuay (Andes, Chile/Bolivia): Comparison of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) from ASTER Remote Sensing Data and Contour Maps , 2005 .

[8]  F. Paul,et al.  Changes in glacier area in Tyrol, Austria, between 1969 and 1992 derived from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper and Austrian Glacier Inventory data , 2002 .

[9]  Roberto Ranzi,et al.  Use of multispectral ASTER images for mapping debris-covered glaciers within the GLIMS project , 2004, IGARSS 2004. 2004 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium.

[10]  Frank Paul,et al.  The new Swiss glacier inventory 2000 : application of remote sensing and GIS , 2003 .

[11]  J. Oerlemans.  Quantifying Global Warming from the Retreat of Glaciers , 1994, Science.

[12]  K. Itten,et al.  Accuracy assessment of automatically derived digital elevation models from aster data in mountainous terrain , 2005 .

[13]  A. Kääb,et al.  Glacier Monitoring From ASTER Imagery: Accuracy and Applications , 2001 .

[14]  Danielle J. Marceau,et al.  Combining DEM Parameters With Landsat MSS And TM Imagery In A GIS For Mountain Glacier Characterization , 1990 .

[15]  Andreas Kääb,et al.  The new remote-sensing-derived Swiss glacier inventory: I. Methods , 2002, Annals of Glaciology.

[16]  C. Thorne,et al.  Quantitative analysis of land surface topography , 1987 .

[17]  Dorothy K. Hall,et al.  Comparison of satellite-derived with ground-based measurements of the fluctuations of the margins of Vatnajökull, Iceland, 1973–92 , 1997, Annals of Glaciology.

[18]  A. K77b,et al.  Combination of SRTM 3 and repeat ASTER data for deriving alpine glacier flow velocities in the Bhutan Himalaya , 2005 .

[19]  Dorothy K. Hall,et al.  Observations on glaciers in the eastern Austrian Alps using satellite data , 1994 .

[20]  Yuichi Shimamura,et al.  Recent changes of glacier coverage in the western Terskey-Alatoo range, Kyrgyz Republic, using Corona and Landsat , 2006, Annals of Glaciology.

[21]  R. W. Sidjak.  Glacier mapping of the Illecillewaet icefield, British Columbia, Canada, using Landsat TM and digital elevation data , 1999 .

[22]  Tobias Bolch,et al.  Climate change and glacier retreat in northern Tien Shan (Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan) using remote sensing data , 2007 .

[23]  Michael P. Bishop,et al.  Terrain analysis and data modeling for alpine glacier mapping , 2001 .

[24]  Anna Della Ventura,et al.  Development of a satellite remote sensing technique for the study of alpine glaciers , 1987 .

[25]  Frank Paul,et al.  EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT METHODS FOR GLACIER MAPPING USING LANDSAT TM , 2000 .

[26]  Andreas Kääb,et al.  Combining satellite multispectral image data and a digital elevation model for mapping debris-covered glaciers , 2004 .