Photogrammetric Monitoring of Rock Glacier Motion Using High-Resolution Cross-Platform Datasets: Formation Age Estimation and Modern Thinning Rates
The availability of remote sensing imagery at high spatiotemporal resolutions presents the opportunity to monitor the surface motion of rock glaciers, a key constraint for characterizing the dynamics of their evolution. In this paper, we investigate four North American rock glaciers by automatically...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/19/4779 |
| _version_ | 1797575266506113024 |
|---|---|
| author | Tyler M. Meng Roberto Aguilar Michael S. Christoffersen Eric I. Petersen Christopher F. Larsen Joseph S. Levy John W. Holt |
| author_facet | Tyler M. Meng Roberto Aguilar Michael S. Christoffersen Eric I. Petersen Christopher F. Larsen Joseph S. Levy John W. Holt |
| author_sort | Tyler M. Meng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The availability of remote sensing imagery at high spatiotemporal resolutions presents the opportunity to monitor the surface motion of rock glaciers, a key constraint for characterizing the dynamics of their evolution. In this paper, we investigate four North American rock glaciers by automatically measuring their horizontal surface displacement using photogrammetric data acquired with crewed and uncrewed aircraft along with orbital spacecraft over monitoring periods of up to eight years. We estimate vertical surface changes on these rock glaciers with photogrammetrically generated digital elevation models (DEM) and digitized topographic maps. Uncertainty analysis shows that the imagery with the highest resolution and most precise positioning have the best performance when used with the automated change detection algorithm. This investigation produces gridded velocity fields over the entire surface area of each study site, from which we estimate the age of rock glacier formation using along-flow velocity integration. Though the age estimates vary, the ice within the modern extent of these landforms began flowing between 3000 and 7000 years before present, postdating the last glacial maximum. Surface elevation change maps indicate present-day thinning at the lower latitude/higher elevation sites in Wyoming, while the higher latitude/lower elevation sites in Alaska exhibit relatively stable surface elevations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:36:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ecb2cde4abad41439cf72476d488ff14 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:36:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-ecb2cde4abad41439cf72476d488ff142023-11-19T14:59:51ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922023-09-011519477910.3390/rs15194779Photogrammetric Monitoring of Rock Glacier Motion Using High-Resolution Cross-Platform Datasets: Formation Age Estimation and Modern Thinning RatesTyler M. Meng0Roberto Aguilar1Michael S. Christoffersen2Eric I. Petersen3Christopher F. Larsen4Joseph S. Levy5John W. Holt6Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USALunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USAGeophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USAGeophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USAGeophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USADepartment of Earth and Environmental Geosciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, USALunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USAThe availability of remote sensing imagery at high spatiotemporal resolutions presents the opportunity to monitor the surface motion of rock glaciers, a key constraint for characterizing the dynamics of their evolution. In this paper, we investigate four North American rock glaciers by automatically measuring their horizontal surface displacement using photogrammetric data acquired with crewed and uncrewed aircraft along with orbital spacecraft over monitoring periods of up to eight years. We estimate vertical surface changes on these rock glaciers with photogrammetrically generated digital elevation models (DEM) and digitized topographic maps. Uncertainty analysis shows that the imagery with the highest resolution and most precise positioning have the best performance when used with the automated change detection algorithm. This investigation produces gridded velocity fields over the entire surface area of each study site, from which we estimate the age of rock glacier formation using along-flow velocity integration. Though the age estimates vary, the ice within the modern extent of these landforms began flowing between 3000 and 7000 years before present, postdating the last glacial maximum. Surface elevation change maps indicate present-day thinning at the lower latitude/higher elevation sites in Wyoming, while the higher latitude/lower elevation sites in Alaska exhibit relatively stable surface elevations.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/19/4779photogrammetryrock glacierkinematicsUASairbornesatellite |
| spellingShingle | Tyler M. Meng Roberto Aguilar Michael S. Christoffersen Eric I. Petersen Christopher F. Larsen Joseph S. Levy John W. Holt Photogrammetric Monitoring of Rock Glacier Motion Using High-Resolution Cross-Platform Datasets: Formation Age Estimation and Modern Thinning Rates Remote Sensing photogrammetry rock glacier kinematics UAS airborne satellite |
| title | Photogrammetric Monitoring of Rock Glacier Motion Using High-Resolution Cross-Platform Datasets: Formation Age Estimation and Modern Thinning Rates |
| title_full | Photogrammetric Monitoring of Rock Glacier Motion Using High-Resolution Cross-Platform Datasets: Formation Age Estimation and Modern Thinning Rates |
| title_fullStr | Photogrammetric Monitoring of Rock Glacier Motion Using High-Resolution Cross-Platform Datasets: Formation Age Estimation and Modern Thinning Rates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Photogrammetric Monitoring of Rock Glacier Motion Using High-Resolution Cross-Platform Datasets: Formation Age Estimation and Modern Thinning Rates |
| title_short | Photogrammetric Monitoring of Rock Glacier Motion Using High-Resolution Cross-Platform Datasets: Formation Age Estimation and Modern Thinning Rates |
| title_sort | photogrammetric monitoring of rock glacier motion using high resolution cross platform datasets formation age estimation and modern thinning rates |
| topic | photogrammetry rock glacier kinematics UAS airborne satellite |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/19/4779 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tylermmeng photogrammetricmonitoringofrockglaciermotionusinghighresolutioncrossplatformdatasetsformationageestimationandmodernthinningrates AT robertoaguilar photogrammetricmonitoringofrockglaciermotionusinghighresolutioncrossplatformdatasetsformationageestimationandmodernthinningrates AT michaelschristoffersen photogrammetricmonitoringofrockglaciermotionusinghighresolutioncrossplatformdatasetsformationageestimationandmodernthinningrates AT ericipetersen photogrammetricmonitoringofrockglaciermotionusinghighresolutioncrossplatformdatasetsformationageestimationandmodernthinningrates AT christopherflarsen photogrammetricmonitoringofrockglaciermotionusinghighresolutioncrossplatformdatasetsformationageestimationandmodernthinningrates AT josephslevy photogrammetricmonitoringofrockglaciermotionusinghighresolutioncrossplatformdatasetsformationageestimationandmodernthinningrates AT johnwholt photogrammetricmonitoringofrockglaciermotionusinghighresolutioncrossplatformdatasetsformationageestimationandmodernthinningrates |