Glacier topography and elevation changes derived from Pléiades sub-meter stereo images
In response to climate change, most glaciers are losing mass and hence contribute to sea-level rise. Repeated and accurate mapping of their surface topography is required to estimate their mass balance and to extrapolate/calibrate sparse field glaciological measurements. In this study we evaluate th...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2014-12-01
|
| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/2275/2014/tc-8-2275-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819039559738982400 |
|---|---|
| author | E. Berthier C. Vincent E. Magnússon Á. Þ. Gunnlaugsson P. Pitte E. Le Meur M. Masiokas L. Ruiz F. Pálsson J. M. C. Belart P. Wagnon |
| author_facet | E. Berthier C. Vincent E. Magnússon Á. Þ. Gunnlaugsson P. Pitte E. Le Meur M. Masiokas L. Ruiz F. Pálsson J. M. C. Belart P. Wagnon |
| author_sort | E. Berthier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In response to climate change, most glaciers are losing mass and hence
contribute to sea-level rise. Repeated and accurate mapping of their surface
topography is required to estimate their mass balance and to
extrapolate/calibrate sparse field glaciological measurements. In this study
we evaluate the potential of sub-meter stereo imagery from the recently
launched Pléiades satellites to derive digital elevation models (DEMs)
of glaciers and their elevation changes. Our five evaluation sites, where
nearly simultaneous field measurements were collected, are located in
Iceland, the European Alps, the central Andes, Nepal and Antarctica. For
Iceland, the Pléiades DEM is also compared to a lidar DEM. The vertical
biases of the Pléiades DEMs are less than 1 m if ground control points
(GCPs) are used, but reach up to 7 m without GCPs. Even without GCPs,
vertical biases can be reduced to a few decimetres by horizontal and
vertical co-registration of the DEMs to reference altimetric data on
ice-free terrain. Around these biases, the vertical precision of the
Pléiades DEMs is ±1 m and even ±0.5 m on the flat glacier
tongues (1σ confidence level). Similar precision levels are obtained in
the accumulation areas of glaciers and in Antarctica. We also demonstrate
the high potential of Pléiades DEMs for measuring seasonal, annual and
multi-annual elevation changes with an accuracy of 1 m or better if
cloud-free images are available. The negative region-wide mass balances of
glaciers in the Mont-Blanc area (−1.04 ± 0.23 m a<sup>−1</sup> water
equivalent, w.e.) are revealed by differencing Satellite pour l'Observation de la Terre 5 (SPOT 5) and Pléiades DEMs
acquired in August 2003 and 2012, confirming the accelerated glacial wastage
in the European Alps. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T08:55:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e46f46b4989b4c2a9b5af81366d691bc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T08:55:08Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-e46f46b4989b4c2a9b5af81366d691bc2022-12-21T19:09:35ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242014-12-01862275229110.5194/tc-8-2275-2014Glacier topography and elevation changes derived from Pléiades sub-meter stereo imagesE. Berthier0C. Vincent1E. Magnússon2Á. Þ. Gunnlaugsson3P. Pitte4E. Le Meur5M. Masiokas6L. Ruiz7F. Pálsson8J. M. C. Belart9P. Wagnon10Laboratoire d'Etudes en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (LEGOS – CNRS, UMR5566), Université de Toulouse, 31400 Toulouse, FranceUJF – Grenoble1/CNRS, LGGE – UMR5183, 38041 Grenoble, FranceInstitute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Askja, Sturlugata 7, Reykjavik, IcelandInstitute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Askja, Sturlugata 7, Reykjavik, IcelandInstituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), CCT – CONICET Mendoza, C.C. 330, 5500 Mendoza, ArgentinaUJF – Grenoble1/CNRS, LGGE – UMR5183, 38041 Grenoble, FranceInstituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), CCT – CONICET Mendoza, C.C. 330, 5500 Mendoza, ArgentinaInstituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), CCT – CONICET Mendoza, C.C. 330, 5500 Mendoza, ArgentinaInstitute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Askja, Sturlugata 7, Reykjavik, IcelandInstitute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Askja, Sturlugata 7, Reykjavik, IcelandIRD/Univ. Grenoble Alpes/CNRS/INPG, Laboratoire d'étude des Transferts en Hydrologie et Environnement, LTHE – UMR5564, Laboratoire de Glaciologie et de Géophysique de l'Environnement, LGGE – UMR5183, 38041 Grenoble, FranceIn response to climate change, most glaciers are losing mass and hence contribute to sea-level rise. Repeated and accurate mapping of their surface topography is required to estimate their mass balance and to extrapolate/calibrate sparse field glaciological measurements. In this study we evaluate the potential of sub-meter stereo imagery from the recently launched Pléiades satellites to derive digital elevation models (DEMs) of glaciers and their elevation changes. Our five evaluation sites, where nearly simultaneous field measurements were collected, are located in Iceland, the European Alps, the central Andes, Nepal and Antarctica. For Iceland, the Pléiades DEM is also compared to a lidar DEM. The vertical biases of the Pléiades DEMs are less than 1 m if ground control points (GCPs) are used, but reach up to 7 m without GCPs. Even without GCPs, vertical biases can be reduced to a few decimetres by horizontal and vertical co-registration of the DEMs to reference altimetric data on ice-free terrain. Around these biases, the vertical precision of the Pléiades DEMs is ±1 m and even ±0.5 m on the flat glacier tongues (1σ confidence level). Similar precision levels are obtained in the accumulation areas of glaciers and in Antarctica. We also demonstrate the high potential of Pléiades DEMs for measuring seasonal, annual and multi-annual elevation changes with an accuracy of 1 m or better if cloud-free images are available. The negative region-wide mass balances of glaciers in the Mont-Blanc area (−1.04 ± 0.23 m a<sup>−1</sup> water equivalent, w.e.) are revealed by differencing Satellite pour l'Observation de la Terre 5 (SPOT 5) and Pléiades DEMs acquired in August 2003 and 2012, confirming the accelerated glacial wastage in the European Alps.http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/2275/2014/tc-8-2275-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | E. Berthier C. Vincent E. Magnússon Á. Þ. Gunnlaugsson P. Pitte E. Le Meur M. Masiokas L. Ruiz F. Pálsson J. M. C. Belart P. Wagnon Glacier topography and elevation changes derived from Pléiades sub-meter stereo images The Cryosphere |
| title | Glacier topography and elevation changes derived from Pléiades sub-meter stereo images |
| title_full | Glacier topography and elevation changes derived from Pléiades sub-meter stereo images |
| title_fullStr | Glacier topography and elevation changes derived from Pléiades sub-meter stereo images |
| title_full_unstemmed | Glacier topography and elevation changes derived from Pléiades sub-meter stereo images |
| title_short | Glacier topography and elevation changes derived from Pléiades sub-meter stereo images |
| title_sort | glacier topography and elevation changes derived from pleiades sub meter stereo images |
| url | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/2275/2014/tc-8-2275-2014.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT eberthier glaciertopographyandelevationchangesderivedfrompleiadessubmeterstereoimages AT cvincent glaciertopographyandelevationchangesderivedfrompleiadessubmeterstereoimages AT emagnusson glaciertopographyandelevationchangesderivedfrompleiadessubmeterstereoimages AT aþgunnlaugsson glaciertopographyandelevationchangesderivedfrompleiadessubmeterstereoimages AT ppitte glaciertopographyandelevationchangesderivedfrompleiadessubmeterstereoimages AT elemeur glaciertopographyandelevationchangesderivedfrompleiadessubmeterstereoimages AT mmasiokas glaciertopographyandelevationchangesderivedfrompleiadessubmeterstereoimages AT lruiz glaciertopographyandelevationchangesderivedfrompleiadessubmeterstereoimages AT fpalsson glaciertopographyandelevationchangesderivedfrompleiadessubmeterstereoimages AT jmcbelart glaciertopographyandelevationchangesderivedfrompleiadessubmeterstereoimages AT pwagnon glaciertopographyandelevationchangesderivedfrompleiadessubmeterstereoimages |