Co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change
There are an increasing number of digital elevation models (DEMs) available worldwide for deriving elevation differences over time, including vertical changes on glaciers. Most of these DEMs are heavily post-processed or merged, so that physical error modelling becomes difficult and statistical erro...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:e3fd08ed60694cb4b68f091ebe531e6c 2023-05-15T16:22:16+02:00 Co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change C. Nuth A. Kääb 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-271-2011 https://doaj.org/article/e3fd08ed60694cb4b68f091ebe531e6c EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/271/2011/tc-5-271-2011.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-5-271-2011 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/e3fd08ed60694cb4b68f091ebe531e6c The Cryosphere, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 271-290 (2011) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2011 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-271-2011 2022-12-31T14:57:25Z There are an increasing number of digital elevation models (DEMs) available worldwide for deriving elevation differences over time, including vertical changes on glaciers. Most of these DEMs are heavily post-processed or merged, so that physical error modelling becomes difficult and statistical error modelling is required instead. We propose a three-step methodological framework for assessing and correcting DEMs to quantify glacier elevation changes: (i) remove DEM shifts, (ii) check for elevation-dependent biases, and (iii) check for higher-order, sensor-specific biases. A simple, analytic and robust method to co-register elevation data is presented in regions where stable terrain is either plentiful (case study New Zealand) or limited (case study Svalbard). The method is demonstrated using the three global elevation data sets available to date, SRTM, ICESat and the ASTER GDEM, and with automatically generated DEMs from satellite stereo instruments of ASTER and SPOT5-HRS. After 3-D co-registration, significant biases related to elevation were found in some of the stereoscopic DEMs. Biases related to the satellite acquisition geometry (along/cross track) were detected at two frequencies in the automatically generated ASTER DEMs. The higher frequency bias seems to be related to satellite jitter , most apparent in the back-looking pass of the satellite. The origins of the more significant lower frequency bias is uncertain. ICESat-derived elevations are found to be the most consistent globally available elevation data set available so far. Before performing regional-scale glacier elevation change studies or mosaicking DEMs from multiple individual tiles (e.g. ASTER GDEM), we recommend to co-register all elevation data to ICESat as a global vertical reference system. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Svalbard The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles New Zealand Svalbard The Cryosphere 5 1 271 290 |
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 C. Nuth A. Kääb Co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
There are an increasing number of digital elevation models (DEMs) available worldwide for deriving elevation differences over time, including vertical changes on glaciers. Most of these DEMs are heavily post-processed or merged, so that physical error modelling becomes difficult and statistical error modelling is required instead. We propose a three-step methodological framework for assessing and correcting DEMs to quantify glacier elevation changes: (i) remove DEM shifts, (ii) check for elevation-dependent biases, and (iii) check for higher-order, sensor-specific biases. A simple, analytic and robust method to co-register elevation data is presented in regions where stable terrain is either plentiful (case study New Zealand) or limited (case study Svalbard). The method is demonstrated using the three global elevation data sets available to date, SRTM, ICESat and the ASTER GDEM, and with automatically generated DEMs from satellite stereo instruments of ASTER and SPOT5-HRS. After 3-D co-registration, significant biases related to elevation were found in some of the stereoscopic DEMs. Biases related to the satellite acquisition geometry (along/cross track) were detected at two frequencies in the automatically generated ASTER DEMs. The higher frequency bias seems to be related to satellite jitter , most apparent in the back-looking pass of the satellite. The origins of the more significant lower frequency bias is uncertain. ICESat-derived elevations are found to be the most consistent globally available elevation data set available so far. Before performing regional-scale glacier elevation change studies or mosaicking DEMs from multiple individual tiles (e.g. ASTER GDEM), we recommend to co-register all elevation data to ICESat as a global vertical reference system. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
C. Nuth A. Kääb |
author_facet |
C. Nuth A. Kääb |
author_sort |
C. Nuth |
title |
Co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change |
title_short |
Co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change |
title_full |
Co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change |
title_fullStr |
Co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change |
title_full_unstemmed |
Co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change |
title_sort |
co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-271-2011 https://doaj.org/article/e3fd08ed60694cb4b68f091ebe531e6c |
geographic |
New Zealand Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
New Zealand Svalbard |
genre |
glacier Svalbard The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
glacier Svalbard The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 271-290 (2011) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/271/2011/tc-5-271-2011.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-5-271-2011 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/e3fd08ed60694cb4b68f091ebe531e6c |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-271-2011 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
271 |
op_container_end_page |
290 |
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