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| Titel |
Detection of surface elevation changes using an unmanned aerial vehicle on the debris-free Storbreen glacier in Norway |
| VerfasserIn |
Philip Kraaijenbrink, Liss Andreassen, Walter Immerzeel |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2016
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
en
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 18 (2016) |
| Datensatznummer |
250123320
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 EGU/EGU2016-2551.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Recent studies have shown that the application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has great
potential to investigate the dynamic behavior of glaciers. The studies have successfully
deployed UAVs over generally contrast-rich surfaces of debris-covered glaciers and highly
crevassed bare ice glaciers. In this study, the potential of UAVs in glaciology is further
exploited, as we use a fixed-wing UAV over the largely snow-covered Storbreen glacier in
Norway in September 2015. The acquired UAV-imagery was processed into accurate
digital elevation models and image mosaics using a Structure from Motion workflow.
Georeferencing of the data was obtained by ingesting ground control points into the workflow
that were accurately measured with a differential global navigation satellite system
(DGNSS). Geodetic accuracy was determined by comparison with DGNSS surface
profiles and stake positions that were measured on the same day. The processed
data were compared with a LIDAR survey and airborne imagery acquisition from
September and October 2009 to examine mass loss patterns and glacier retreat.
Results show that the UAV is capable of producing high-quality elevation models
and image mosaics for the low-contrast snow-covered Storbreen at unprecedented
detail. The accuracy of the output product is lower when compared to contrast-rich
debris-covered glaciers, but still considerably more accurate than spaceborne data products.
Comparison with LIDAR data shows a spatially heterogeneous downwasting pattern
of about 0.75 m a−1 over 2009–2015 for the upper part of Storbreen. The lower
part exhibits considerably more downwasting in the range of 0.9–2.1 m a−1. We
conclude that UAVs can be valuable for surveys of snow-covered glaciers to provide
sufficient accurate elevation models and image mosaics, and we recommend the
use of UAVs for the routine monitoring of benchmark glaciers such as Storbreen. |
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