Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery
The fracturing of glaciers and ice shelves in Antarctica influences their dynamics and stability. Hence, data on the evolving distribution of crevasses are required to better understand the evolution of the ice sheet, though such data have traditionally been difficult and time-consuming to generate....
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2023
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:06450cd245a3453f8dc97e8a40339e53 2023-11-12T04:00:50+01:00 Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery T. Surawy-Stepney A. E. Hogg S. L. Cornford D. C. Hogg 2023-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4421-2023 https://doaj.org/article/06450cd245a3453f8dc97e8a40339e53 EN eng Copernicus Publications https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/17/4421/2023/tc-17-4421-2023.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-17-4421-2023 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/06450cd245a3453f8dc97e8a40339e53 The Cryosphere, Vol 17, Pp 4421-4445 (2023) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4421-2023 2023-10-22T00:37:20Z The fracturing of glaciers and ice shelves in Antarctica influences their dynamics and stability. Hence, data on the evolving distribution of crevasses are required to better understand the evolution of the ice sheet, though such data have traditionally been difficult and time-consuming to generate. Here, we present an automated method of mapping crevasses on grounded and floating ice with the application of convolutional neural networks to Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar backscatter data. We apply this method across Antarctica to images acquired between 2015 and 2022, producing a 7.5-year record of composite fracture maps at monthly intervals and 50 m spatial resolution and showing the distribution of crevasses around the majority of the ice sheet margin. We develop a method of quantifying changes to the density of ice shelf fractures using a time series of crevasse maps and show increases in crevassing on Thwaites and Pine Island ice shelves over the observational period, with observed changes elsewhere in the Amundsen Sea dominated by the advection of existing crevasses. Using stress fields computed using the BISICLES ice sheet model, we show that much of this structural change has occurred in buttressing regions of these ice shelves, indicating a recent and ongoing link between fracturing and the developing dynamics of the Amundsen Sea sector. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Pine Island The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Amundsen Sea Antarctic The Cryosphere 17 10 4421 4445 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 T. Surawy-Stepney A. E. Hogg S. L. Cornford D. C. Hogg Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
The fracturing of glaciers and ice shelves in Antarctica influences their dynamics and stability. Hence, data on the evolving distribution of crevasses are required to better understand the evolution of the ice sheet, though such data have traditionally been difficult and time-consuming to generate. Here, we present an automated method of mapping crevasses on grounded and floating ice with the application of convolutional neural networks to Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar backscatter data. We apply this method across Antarctica to images acquired between 2015 and 2022, producing a 7.5-year record of composite fracture maps at monthly intervals and 50 m spatial resolution and showing the distribution of crevasses around the majority of the ice sheet margin. We develop a method of quantifying changes to the density of ice shelf fractures using a time series of crevasse maps and show increases in crevassing on Thwaites and Pine Island ice shelves over the observational period, with observed changes elsewhere in the Amundsen Sea dominated by the advection of existing crevasses. Using stress fields computed using the BISICLES ice sheet model, we show that much of this structural change has occurred in buttressing regions of these ice shelves, indicating a recent and ongoing link between fracturing and the developing dynamics of the Amundsen Sea sector. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
T. Surawy-Stepney A. E. Hogg S. L. Cornford D. C. Hogg |
author_facet |
T. Surawy-Stepney A. E. Hogg S. L. Cornford D. C. Hogg |
author_sort |
T. Surawy-Stepney |
title |
Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery |
title_short |
Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery |
title_full |
Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery |
title_fullStr |
Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery |
title_sort |
mapping antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4421-2023 https://doaj.org/article/06450cd245a3453f8dc97e8a40339e53 |
geographic |
Amundsen Sea Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarctic |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Pine Island The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Pine Island The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 17, Pp 4421-4445 (2023) |
op_relation |
https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/17/4421/2023/tc-17-4421-2023.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-17-4421-2023 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/06450cd245a3453f8dc97e8a40339e53 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4421-2023 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
17 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
4421 |
op_container_end_page |
4445 |
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1782328872496267264 |