Monitoring of seasonal glacier mass balance over the European Alps using low-resolution optical satellite images
ABSTRACT We explore a new method to retrieve seasonal glacier mass balances (MBs) from low-resolution optical remote sensing. We derive annual winter and summer snow maps of the Alps during 1998–2014 using SPOT/VEGETATION 1 km resolution imagery. We combine these seasonal snow maps with a DEM to cal...
Published in: | Journal of Glaciology |
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2016
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.78 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143016000782 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/jog.2016.78 2024-06-23T07:54:15+00:00 Monitoring of seasonal glacier mass balance over the European Alps using low-resolution optical satellite images DROLON, VANESSA MAISONGRANDE, PHILIPPE BERTHIER, ETIENNE SWINNEN, ELSE HUSS, MATTHIAS 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.78 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143016000782 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Journal of Glaciology volume 62, issue 235, page 912-927 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 journal-article 2016 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.78 2024-06-12T04:03:25Z ABSTRACT We explore a new method to retrieve seasonal glacier mass balances (MBs) from low-resolution optical remote sensing. We derive annual winter and summer snow maps of the Alps during 1998–2014 using SPOT/VEGETATION 1 km resolution imagery. We combine these seasonal snow maps with a DEM to calculate a ‘mean regional’ altitude of snow ( Z ) in a region surrounding a glacier. Then, we compare the interannual variation of Z with the observed winter/summer glacier MB for 55 Alpine glaciers over 1998–2008, our calibration period. We find strong linear relationships in winter (mean R 2 = 0.84) and small errors for the reconstructed winter MB (mean RMSE = 158 mm (w.e.) a −1 ). This is lower than errors generally assumed for the glaciological MB measurements (200–400 mm w.e. a −1 ). Results for summer MB are also satisfying (mean R 2 and RMSE, respectively, 0.74 and 314 mm w.e. a −1 ). Comparison with observed seasonal MB available over 2009–2014 (our evaluation period) for 19 glaciers in winter and 13 in summer shows good agreement in winter (RMSE = 405 mm w.e. a −1 ) and slightly larger errors in summer (RMSE = 561 mm w.e. a −1 ). These results indicate that our approach might be valuable for remotely determining the seasonal MB of glaciers over large regions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Journal of Glaciology Cambridge University Press Journal of Glaciology 62 235 912 927 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
ABSTRACT We explore a new method to retrieve seasonal glacier mass balances (MBs) from low-resolution optical remote sensing. We derive annual winter and summer snow maps of the Alps during 1998–2014 using SPOT/VEGETATION 1 km resolution imagery. We combine these seasonal snow maps with a DEM to calculate a ‘mean regional’ altitude of snow ( Z ) in a region surrounding a glacier. Then, we compare the interannual variation of Z with the observed winter/summer glacier MB for 55 Alpine glaciers over 1998–2008, our calibration period. We find strong linear relationships in winter (mean R 2 = 0.84) and small errors for the reconstructed winter MB (mean RMSE = 158 mm (w.e.) a −1 ). This is lower than errors generally assumed for the glaciological MB measurements (200–400 mm w.e. a −1 ). Results for summer MB are also satisfying (mean R 2 and RMSE, respectively, 0.74 and 314 mm w.e. a −1 ). Comparison with observed seasonal MB available over 2009–2014 (our evaluation period) for 19 glaciers in winter and 13 in summer shows good agreement in winter (RMSE = 405 mm w.e. a −1 ) and slightly larger errors in summer (RMSE = 561 mm w.e. a −1 ). These results indicate that our approach might be valuable for remotely determining the seasonal MB of glaciers over large regions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
DROLON, VANESSA MAISONGRANDE, PHILIPPE BERTHIER, ETIENNE SWINNEN, ELSE HUSS, MATTHIAS |
spellingShingle |
DROLON, VANESSA MAISONGRANDE, PHILIPPE BERTHIER, ETIENNE SWINNEN, ELSE HUSS, MATTHIAS Monitoring of seasonal glacier mass balance over the European Alps using low-resolution optical satellite images |
author_facet |
DROLON, VANESSA MAISONGRANDE, PHILIPPE BERTHIER, ETIENNE SWINNEN, ELSE HUSS, MATTHIAS |
author_sort |
DROLON, VANESSA |
title |
Monitoring of seasonal glacier mass balance over the European Alps using low-resolution optical satellite images |
title_short |
Monitoring of seasonal glacier mass balance over the European Alps using low-resolution optical satellite images |
title_full |
Monitoring of seasonal glacier mass balance over the European Alps using low-resolution optical satellite images |
title_fullStr |
Monitoring of seasonal glacier mass balance over the European Alps using low-resolution optical satellite images |
title_full_unstemmed |
Monitoring of seasonal glacier mass balance over the European Alps using low-resolution optical satellite images |
title_sort |
monitoring of seasonal glacier mass balance over the european alps using low-resolution optical satellite images |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.78 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143016000782 |
genre |
Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 62, issue 235, page 912-927 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2016.78 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
62 |
container_issue |
235 |
container_start_page |
912 |
op_container_end_page |
927 |
_version_ |
1802646362844561408 |