Repeat mapping of snow depth across an alpine catchment with RPAS photogrammetry
Being dynamic in time and space, seasonal snow represents a difficult target for ongoing in situ measurement and characterisation. Improved understanding and modelling of the seasonal snowpack requires mapping snow depth at fine spatial resolution. The potential of remotely piloted aircraft system (...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:7cbf4404e7784e27a236e462a780c339 2023-05-15T18:32:26+02:00 Repeat mapping of snow depth across an alpine catchment with RPAS photogrammetry T. A. N. Redpath P. Sirguey N. J. Cullen 2018-11-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3477-2018 https://doaj.org/article/7cbf4404e7784e27a236e462a780c339 EN eng Copernicus Publications https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/3477/2018/tc-12-3477-2018.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-12-3477-2018 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/7cbf4404e7784e27a236e462a780c339 The Cryosphere, Vol 12, Pp 3477-3497 (2018) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2018 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3477-2018 2022-12-31T02:57:40Z Being dynamic in time and space, seasonal snow represents a difficult target for ongoing in situ measurement and characterisation. Improved understanding and modelling of the seasonal snowpack requires mapping snow depth at fine spatial resolution. The potential of remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) photogrammetry to resolve spatial variability of snow depth is evaluated within an alpine catchment of the Pisa Range, New Zealand. Digital surface models (DSMs) at 0.15 m spatial resolution in autumn (snow-free reference) winter (2 August 2016) and spring (10 September 2016) allowed mapping of snow depth via DSM differencing. The consistency and accuracy of the RPAS-derived surface was assessed by the propagation of check point residuals from the aero-triangulation of constituent DSMs and via comparison of snow-free regions of the spring and autumn DSMs. The accuracy of RPAS-derived snow depth was validated with in situ snow probe measurements. Results for snow-free areas between DSMs acquired in autumn and spring demonstrate repeatability yet also reveal that elevation errors follow a distribution that substantially departs from a normal distribution, symptomatic of the influence of DSM co-registration and terrain characteristics on vertical uncertainty. Error propagation saw snow depth mapped with an accuracy of ±0.08 m (90 % c.l.). This is lower than the characterization of uncertainties on snow-free areas (±0.14 m). Comparisons between RPAS and in situ snow depth measurements confirm this level of performance of RPAS photogrammetry while also highlighting the influence of vegetation on snow depth uncertainty and bias. Semi-variogram analysis revealed that the RPAS outperformed systematic in situ measurements in resolving fine-scale spatial variability. Despite limitations accompanying RPAS photogrammetry, which are relevant to similar applications of surface and volume change analysis, this study demonstrates a repeatable means of accurately mapping snow depth for an entire, yet relatively small, ... Article in Journal/Newspaper The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles New Zealand The Cryosphere 12 11 3477 3497 |
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. A. N. Redpath P. Sirguey N. J. Cullen Repeat mapping of snow depth across an alpine catchment with RPAS photogrammetry |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Being dynamic in time and space, seasonal snow represents a difficult target for ongoing in situ measurement and characterisation. Improved understanding and modelling of the seasonal snowpack requires mapping snow depth at fine spatial resolution. The potential of remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) photogrammetry to resolve spatial variability of snow depth is evaluated within an alpine catchment of the Pisa Range, New Zealand. Digital surface models (DSMs) at 0.15 m spatial resolution in autumn (snow-free reference) winter (2 August 2016) and spring (10 September 2016) allowed mapping of snow depth via DSM differencing. The consistency and accuracy of the RPAS-derived surface was assessed by the propagation of check point residuals from the aero-triangulation of constituent DSMs and via comparison of snow-free regions of the spring and autumn DSMs. The accuracy of RPAS-derived snow depth was validated with in situ snow probe measurements. Results for snow-free areas between DSMs acquired in autumn and spring demonstrate repeatability yet also reveal that elevation errors follow a distribution that substantially departs from a normal distribution, symptomatic of the influence of DSM co-registration and terrain characteristics on vertical uncertainty. Error propagation saw snow depth mapped with an accuracy of ±0.08 m (90 % c.l.). This is lower than the characterization of uncertainties on snow-free areas (±0.14 m). Comparisons between RPAS and in situ snow depth measurements confirm this level of performance of RPAS photogrammetry while also highlighting the influence of vegetation on snow depth uncertainty and bias. Semi-variogram analysis revealed that the RPAS outperformed systematic in situ measurements in resolving fine-scale spatial variability. Despite limitations accompanying RPAS photogrammetry, which are relevant to similar applications of surface and volume change analysis, this study demonstrates a repeatable means of accurately mapping snow depth for an entire, yet relatively small, ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
T. A. N. Redpath P. Sirguey N. J. Cullen |
author_facet |
T. A. N. Redpath P. Sirguey N. J. Cullen |
author_sort |
T. A. N. Redpath |
title |
Repeat mapping of snow depth across an alpine catchment with RPAS photogrammetry |
title_short |
Repeat mapping of snow depth across an alpine catchment with RPAS photogrammetry |
title_full |
Repeat mapping of snow depth across an alpine catchment with RPAS photogrammetry |
title_fullStr |
Repeat mapping of snow depth across an alpine catchment with RPAS photogrammetry |
title_full_unstemmed |
Repeat mapping of snow depth across an alpine catchment with RPAS photogrammetry |
title_sort |
repeat mapping of snow depth across an alpine catchment with rpas photogrammetry |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3477-2018 https://doaj.org/article/7cbf4404e7784e27a236e462a780c339 |
geographic |
New Zealand |
geographic_facet |
New Zealand |
genre |
The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 12, Pp 3477-3497 (2018) |
op_relation |
https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/3477/2018/tc-12-3477-2018.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-12-3477-2018 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/7cbf4404e7784e27a236e462a780c339 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3477-2018 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
3477 |
op_container_end_page |
3497 |
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1766216548350951424 |