Using structure-from-motion to create glacier DEMs and orthoimagery from historical terrestrial and oblique aerial imagery
Increased resolution and availability of remote sensing products, and advancements in small-scale aerial drone systems, allows observations of glacial changes at unprecedented levels of detail. Software developments, such as structure-from-motion (SfM), now allow users an easy and efficient method t...
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Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech
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Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/3624 https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4188 |
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ftmichigantuniv:oai:digitalcommons.mtu.edu:michigantech-p-22926 2023-05-15T15:17:06+02:00 Using structure-from-motion to create glacier DEMs and orthoimagery from historical terrestrial and oblique aerial imagery Mertes, Jordan Gulley, Jason D. Benn, Douglas I. Thompson, Sarah S. Nicholson, Lindsey I. 2017-11-01T07:00:00Z https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/3624 https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4188 unknown Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/3624 https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4188 Michigan Tech Publications Dem glacier change historic imagery long term structure-from-motion Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Geological Engineering Mining Engineering text 2017 ftmichigantuniv https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4188 2022-01-23T10:55:03Z Increased resolution and availability of remote sensing products, and advancements in small-scale aerial drone systems, allows observations of glacial changes at unprecedented levels of detail. Software developments, such as structure-from-motion (SfM), now allow users an easy and efficient method to generate three-dimensional (3D) models and orthoimages from aerial or terrestrial datasets. While these advancements show promise for current and future glacier monitoring, many regions still suffer a lack of observations from earlier time periods. We report on the use of SfM to extract spatial information from various historic imagery sources. We focus on three geographic regions, the European Alps, high Arctic Norway and the Nepal Himalayas. We used terrestrial field photographs from 1896, high oblique aerial photographs from 1936 and aerial handheld photographs from 1978 to generate digital elevation models (DEMs) and orthophotos of the Rhone glacier, Brøggerhalvøya and the lower Khumbu glacier, respectively. Our analysis shows that applying SfM to historic imagery can generate high quality models using only ground control points. Limited camera/orientation information was largely reproduced using self-calibrated model data. Using these data, we calculated mean ground sampling distances across each site which demonstrates the high potential resolution of resulting models. Vertical errors for our models are ±5.4 m, ±5.2 m and ±3.3 m. Differencing shows similar patterns of thinning at lower Rhone (European Alps) and Brøggerhalvøya (Norway) glaciers, which have mean thinning rates of 0.31 m a−1 (1896–2010) to 0.86 m a−1 (1936–2010) respectively. On these clean ice glaciers thinning is highest in the terminus region and decreasing up-glacier. In contrast to these glaciers, uneven topography, exposed ice-cliffs and debris cover on the Khumbu glacier create a highly variable spatial distribution of thinning. The mean thinning rate for the Khumbu study area was found to be 0.54 ± 0.9 m a−1 (1978–2015). Text Arctic glacier Michigan Technological University: Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech Arctic Brøggerhalvøya ENVELOPE(11.736,11.736,78.915,78.915) Norway Rhone ENVELOPE(158.733,158.733,-79.983,-79.983) Rhone Glacier ENVELOPE(162.200,162.200,-77.667,-77.667) Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 42 14 2350 2364 |
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Open Polar |
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Michigan Technological University: Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech |
op_collection_id |
ftmichigantuniv |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Dem glacier change historic imagery long term structure-from-motion Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Geological Engineering Mining Engineering |
spellingShingle |
Dem glacier change historic imagery long term structure-from-motion Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Geological Engineering Mining Engineering Mertes, Jordan Gulley, Jason D. Benn, Douglas I. Thompson, Sarah S. Nicholson, Lindsey I. Using structure-from-motion to create glacier DEMs and orthoimagery from historical terrestrial and oblique aerial imagery |
topic_facet |
Dem glacier change historic imagery long term structure-from-motion Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Geological Engineering Mining Engineering |
description |
Increased resolution and availability of remote sensing products, and advancements in small-scale aerial drone systems, allows observations of glacial changes at unprecedented levels of detail. Software developments, such as structure-from-motion (SfM), now allow users an easy and efficient method to generate three-dimensional (3D) models and orthoimages from aerial or terrestrial datasets. While these advancements show promise for current and future glacier monitoring, many regions still suffer a lack of observations from earlier time periods. We report on the use of SfM to extract spatial information from various historic imagery sources. We focus on three geographic regions, the European Alps, high Arctic Norway and the Nepal Himalayas. We used terrestrial field photographs from 1896, high oblique aerial photographs from 1936 and aerial handheld photographs from 1978 to generate digital elevation models (DEMs) and orthophotos of the Rhone glacier, Brøggerhalvøya and the lower Khumbu glacier, respectively. Our analysis shows that applying SfM to historic imagery can generate high quality models using only ground control points. Limited camera/orientation information was largely reproduced using self-calibrated model data. Using these data, we calculated mean ground sampling distances across each site which demonstrates the high potential resolution of resulting models. Vertical errors for our models are ±5.4 m, ±5.2 m and ±3.3 m. Differencing shows similar patterns of thinning at lower Rhone (European Alps) and Brøggerhalvøya (Norway) glaciers, which have mean thinning rates of 0.31 m a−1 (1896–2010) to 0.86 m a−1 (1936–2010) respectively. On these clean ice glaciers thinning is highest in the terminus region and decreasing up-glacier. In contrast to these glaciers, uneven topography, exposed ice-cliffs and debris cover on the Khumbu glacier create a highly variable spatial distribution of thinning. The mean thinning rate for the Khumbu study area was found to be 0.54 ± 0.9 m a−1 (1978–2015). |
format |
Text |
author |
Mertes, Jordan Gulley, Jason D. Benn, Douglas I. Thompson, Sarah S. Nicholson, Lindsey I. |
author_facet |
Mertes, Jordan Gulley, Jason D. Benn, Douglas I. Thompson, Sarah S. Nicholson, Lindsey I. |
author_sort |
Mertes, Jordan |
title |
Using structure-from-motion to create glacier DEMs and orthoimagery from historical terrestrial and oblique aerial imagery |
title_short |
Using structure-from-motion to create glacier DEMs and orthoimagery from historical terrestrial and oblique aerial imagery |
title_full |
Using structure-from-motion to create glacier DEMs and orthoimagery from historical terrestrial and oblique aerial imagery |
title_fullStr |
Using structure-from-motion to create glacier DEMs and orthoimagery from historical terrestrial and oblique aerial imagery |
title_full_unstemmed |
Using structure-from-motion to create glacier DEMs and orthoimagery from historical terrestrial and oblique aerial imagery |
title_sort |
using structure-from-motion to create glacier dems and orthoimagery from historical terrestrial and oblique aerial imagery |
publisher |
Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/3624 https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4188 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(11.736,11.736,78.915,78.915) ENVELOPE(158.733,158.733,-79.983,-79.983) ENVELOPE(162.200,162.200,-77.667,-77.667) |
geographic |
Arctic Brøggerhalvøya Norway Rhone Rhone Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Brøggerhalvøya Norway Rhone Rhone Glacier |
genre |
Arctic glacier |
genre_facet |
Arctic glacier |
op_source |
Michigan Tech Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/3624 https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4188 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4188 |
container_title |
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms |
container_volume |
42 |
container_issue |
14 |
container_start_page |
2350 |
op_container_end_page |
2364 |
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1766347370399793152 |