Glacier mass balance measurements from satellite potential and challenges

• Matthias Braun ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

     University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

     Kreisfreie Stadt Erlangen, Alemania

     
• Localización: Topografía y cartografía: Revista del Ilustre Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Técnicos en Topografía, ISSN 0212-9280, Vol. 32, Nº 170, 2016 (Ejemplar dedicado a: XI Congreso Internacional de Geomática y Ciencias de la Tierra. Criosfera y Cambio Climático), págs. 95-96
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Glaciers are frequently used as indicators of climate change. As a consequence, regular monitoring programs have been established in the last century in order to measure several geophysical variables like glacier length or surface mass balance. Spatially distributed assessments of glacier mass balance have been done since many decades by either interpolating/ extrapolating the in-situ measurements, link with modeling or using cartographic and photogrametric techniques based on aerial photographs. Field-based measurements are still highly valuable, however, only a limited amount of glaciers can be measured and in some cases the systems are too big for quantifications on field measurements alone.

    Hence, in recent years satellite observations and remote sensing techniques have become powerful tools to provide region-wide assessments. Meanwhile various techniques exist that range from gravimetry, the input-output or flux-gate approach or classical height change measurements using different sensors. In the talk, the potential and suitability of the different techniques will be presented, but also difficulties and limitations of the various techniques addressed. A focus will be on height change measurements from altimetry, photogrammetry and interferometry as well as on the input-output method. Case studies will be presented from high mountain regions like the Karakoram-Himalaya, Alaska and the Antarctic Peninsula.