Mapping snow depth in open alpine terrain from stereo satellite imagery
To date, there is no definitive approach to map snow depth in mountainous areas from spaceborne sensors. Here, we examine the potential of very-high-resolution (VHR) optical stereo satellites to this purpose. Two triplets of 0.70 m resolution images were acquired by the Pléiades satellite over an op...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-07-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/1361/2016/tc-10-1361-2016.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818839304069185536 |
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| author | R. Marti S. Gascoin E. Berthier M. de Pinel T. Houet D. Laffly |
| author_facet | R. Marti S. Gascoin E. Berthier M. de Pinel T. Houet D. Laffly |
| author_sort | R. Marti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To date, there is no definitive approach to map snow depth in mountainous
areas from spaceborne sensors. Here, we examine the potential of
very-high-resolution (VHR) optical stereo satellites to this purpose. Two
triplets of 0.70 m resolution images were acquired by the
Pléiades satellite over an open alpine catchment (14.5 km<sup>2</sup>)
under snow-free and snow-covered conditions. The open-source software Ame's
Stereo Pipeline (ASP) was used to match the stereo pairs without ground
control points to generate raw photogrammetric clouds and to convert them
into high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) at 1, 2, and 4 m
resolutions. The DEM differences (dDEMs) were computed after
3-D coregistration, including a correction of a −0.48 m vertical
bias. The bias-corrected dDEM maps were compared to 451 snow-probe
measurements. The results show a decimetric accuracy and precision in the
Pléiades-derived snow depths. The median of the residuals is
−0.16 m, with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.58 m at a
pixel size of 2 m. We compared the 2 m Pléiades dDEM to a
2 m dDEM that was based on a winged unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV)
photogrammetric survey that was performed on the same winter date over a
portion of the catchment (3.1 km<sup>2</sup>). The UAV-derived snow depth map
exhibits the same patterns as the Pléiades-derived snow map, with a median
of −0.11 m and a SD of 0.62 m when compared to the snow-probe measurements. The Pléiades images benefit from a very broad
radiometric range (12 bits), allowing a high correlation success rate over
the snow-covered areas. This study demonstrates the value of VHR stereo
satellite imagery to map snow depth in remote mountainous areas even when no
field data are available. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:52:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e9713ae8aa5b465890cdeea456929e33 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:52:09Z |
| publishDate | 2016-07-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-e9713ae8aa5b465890cdeea456929e332022-12-21T20:36:58ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242016-07-011041361138010.5194/tc-10-1361-2016Mapping snow depth in open alpine terrain from stereo satellite imageryR. Marti0S. Gascoin1E. Berthier2M. de Pinel3T. Houet4D. Laffly5Géographie de l'Environnement (GEODE), UT2J/CNRS, Toulouse, FranceCentre d'Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère (CESBIO), UPS/CNRS/IRD/CNES, Toulouse, FranceLaboratoire d'Etudes en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales, (LEGOS), UPS/CNRS/IRD/CNES, Toulouse, FranceGeoFalco, Longages, FranceGéographie de l'Environnement (GEODE), UT2J/CNRS, Toulouse, FranceGéographie de l'Environnement (GEODE), UT2J/CNRS, Toulouse, FranceTo date, there is no definitive approach to map snow depth in mountainous areas from spaceborne sensors. Here, we examine the potential of very-high-resolution (VHR) optical stereo satellites to this purpose. Two triplets of 0.70 m resolution images were acquired by the Pléiades satellite over an open alpine catchment (14.5 km<sup>2</sup>) under snow-free and snow-covered conditions. The open-source software Ame's Stereo Pipeline (ASP) was used to match the stereo pairs without ground control points to generate raw photogrammetric clouds and to convert them into high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) at 1, 2, and 4 m resolutions. The DEM differences (dDEMs) were computed after 3-D coregistration, including a correction of a −0.48 m vertical bias. The bias-corrected dDEM maps were compared to 451 snow-probe measurements. The results show a decimetric accuracy and precision in the Pléiades-derived snow depths. The median of the residuals is −0.16 m, with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.58 m at a pixel size of 2 m. We compared the 2 m Pléiades dDEM to a 2 m dDEM that was based on a winged unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) photogrammetric survey that was performed on the same winter date over a portion of the catchment (3.1 km<sup>2</sup>). The UAV-derived snow depth map exhibits the same patterns as the Pléiades-derived snow map, with a median of −0.11 m and a SD of 0.62 m when compared to the snow-probe measurements. The Pléiades images benefit from a very broad radiometric range (12 bits), allowing a high correlation success rate over the snow-covered areas. This study demonstrates the value of VHR stereo satellite imagery to map snow depth in remote mountainous areas even when no field data are available.http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/1361/2016/tc-10-1361-2016.pdf |
| spellingShingle | R. Marti S. Gascoin E. Berthier M. de Pinel T. Houet D. Laffly Mapping snow depth in open alpine terrain from stereo satellite imagery The Cryosphere |
| title | Mapping snow depth in open alpine terrain from stereo satellite imagery |
| title_full | Mapping snow depth in open alpine terrain from stereo satellite imagery |
| title_fullStr | Mapping snow depth in open alpine terrain from stereo satellite imagery |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mapping snow depth in open alpine terrain from stereo satellite imagery |
| title_short | Mapping snow depth in open alpine terrain from stereo satellite imagery |
| title_sort | mapping snow depth in open alpine terrain from stereo satellite imagery |
| url | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/1361/2016/tc-10-1361-2016.pdf |
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