Application and validation of long-range terrestrial laser scanning to monitor the mass balance of very small glaciers in the Swiss Alps
Due to the relative lack of empirical field data, the response of very small glaciers (here defined as being smaller than 0.5 km 2 ) to current atmospheric warming is not fully understood yet. Investigating their mass balance, e.g. using the direct glaciological method, is a prerequisite to fill thi...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1279-2016 https://doaj.org/article/5c17b8bc351f48afaafcbb900b49ffc0 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:5c17b8bc351f48afaafcbb900b49ffc0 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:5c17b8bc351f48afaafcbb900b49ffc0 2023-05-15T18:32:30+02:00 Application and validation of long-range terrestrial laser scanning to monitor the mass balance of very small glaciers in the Swiss Alps M. Fischer M. Huss M. Kummert M. Hoelzle 2016-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1279-2016 https://doaj.org/article/5c17b8bc351f48afaafcbb900b49ffc0 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/1279/2016/tc-10-1279-2016.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-10-1279-2016 https://doaj.org/article/5c17b8bc351f48afaafcbb900b49ffc0 The Cryosphere, Vol 10, Iss 3, Pp 1279-1295 (2016) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2016 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1279-2016 2022-12-31T02:45:32Z Due to the relative lack of empirical field data, the response of very small glaciers (here defined as being smaller than 0.5 km 2 ) to current atmospheric warming is not fully understood yet. Investigating their mass balance, e.g. using the direct glaciological method, is a prerequisite to fill this knowledge gap. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) techniques operating in the near infrared range can be applied for the creation of repeated high-resolution digital elevation models and consecutive derivation of annual geodetic mass balances of very small glaciers. This method is promising, as laborious and potentially dangerous field measurements as well as the inter- and extrapolation of point measurements can be circumvented. However, it still needs to be validated. Here, we present TLS-derived annual surface elevation and geodetic mass changes for five very small glaciers in Switzerland (Glacier de Prapio, Glacier du Sex Rouge, St. Annafirn, Schwarzbachfirn, and Pizolgletscher) and two consecutive years (2013/14–2014/15). The scans were acquired with a long-range Riegl VZ ® -6000 especially designed for surveying snow- and ice-covered terrain. Zonally variable conversion factors for firn and bare ice surfaces were applied to convert geodetic volume to mass changes. We compare the geodetic results to direct glaciological mass balance measurements coinciding with the TLS surveys and assess the uncertainties and errors included in both methods. Average glacier-wide mass balances were negative in both years, showing stronger mass losses in 2014/15 (−1.65 m w.e.) compared to 2013/14 (−0.59 m w.e.). Geodetic mass balances were slightly less negative but in close agreement with the direct glaciological ones ( R 2 = 0.91). Due to the dense in situ measurements, the uncertainties in the direct glaciological mass balances were small compared to the majority of measured glaciers worldwide (±0.09 m w.e. yr −1 on average), and similar to uncertainties in the TLS-derived geodetic mass balances (±0.13 m w.e. yr −1 ). Article in Journal/Newspaper The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles The Cryosphere 10 3 1279 1295 |
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 M. Fischer M. Huss M. Kummert M. Hoelzle Application and validation of long-range terrestrial laser scanning to monitor the mass balance of very small glaciers in the Swiss Alps |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Due to the relative lack of empirical field data, the response of very small glaciers (here defined as being smaller than 0.5 km 2 ) to current atmospheric warming is not fully understood yet. Investigating their mass balance, e.g. using the direct glaciological method, is a prerequisite to fill this knowledge gap. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) techniques operating in the near infrared range can be applied for the creation of repeated high-resolution digital elevation models and consecutive derivation of annual geodetic mass balances of very small glaciers. This method is promising, as laborious and potentially dangerous field measurements as well as the inter- and extrapolation of point measurements can be circumvented. However, it still needs to be validated. Here, we present TLS-derived annual surface elevation and geodetic mass changes for five very small glaciers in Switzerland (Glacier de Prapio, Glacier du Sex Rouge, St. Annafirn, Schwarzbachfirn, and Pizolgletscher) and two consecutive years (2013/14–2014/15). The scans were acquired with a long-range Riegl VZ ® -6000 especially designed for surveying snow- and ice-covered terrain. Zonally variable conversion factors for firn and bare ice surfaces were applied to convert geodetic volume to mass changes. We compare the geodetic results to direct glaciological mass balance measurements coinciding with the TLS surveys and assess the uncertainties and errors included in both methods. Average glacier-wide mass balances were negative in both years, showing stronger mass losses in 2014/15 (−1.65 m w.e.) compared to 2013/14 (−0.59 m w.e.). Geodetic mass balances were slightly less negative but in close agreement with the direct glaciological ones ( R 2 = 0.91). Due to the dense in situ measurements, the uncertainties in the direct glaciological mass balances were small compared to the majority of measured glaciers worldwide (±0.09 m w.e. yr −1 on average), and similar to uncertainties in the TLS-derived geodetic mass balances (±0.13 m w.e. yr −1 ). |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
M. Fischer M. Huss M. Kummert M. Hoelzle |
author_facet |
M. Fischer M. Huss M. Kummert M. Hoelzle |
author_sort |
M. Fischer |
title |
Application and validation of long-range terrestrial laser scanning to monitor the mass balance of very small glaciers in the Swiss Alps |
title_short |
Application and validation of long-range terrestrial laser scanning to monitor the mass balance of very small glaciers in the Swiss Alps |
title_full |
Application and validation of long-range terrestrial laser scanning to monitor the mass balance of very small glaciers in the Swiss Alps |
title_fullStr |
Application and validation of long-range terrestrial laser scanning to monitor the mass balance of very small glaciers in the Swiss Alps |
title_full_unstemmed |
Application and validation of long-range terrestrial laser scanning to monitor the mass balance of very small glaciers in the Swiss Alps |
title_sort |
application and validation of long-range terrestrial laser scanning to monitor the mass balance of very small glaciers in the swiss alps |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1279-2016 https://doaj.org/article/5c17b8bc351f48afaafcbb900b49ffc0 |
genre |
The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 10, Iss 3, Pp 1279-1295 (2016) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/1279/2016/tc-10-1279-2016.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-10-1279-2016 https://doaj.org/article/5c17b8bc351f48afaafcbb900b49ffc0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1279-2016 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
1279 |
op_container_end_page |
1295 |
_version_ |
1766216623959572480 |