Where are the avalanches? Rapid SPOT6 satellite data acquisition to map an extreme avalanche period over the Swiss Alps
Accurate and timely information on avalanche occurrence is key for avalanche warning, crisis management and avalanche documentation. Today such information is mainly available at isolated locations provided by observers in the field. The achieved reliability, considering accuracy, completeness and r...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
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Copernicus Publications
2019
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ftnonlinearchiv:oai:noa.gwlb.de:cop_mods_00049682 2023-05-15T18:32:33+02:00 Where are the avalanches? Rapid SPOT6 satellite data acquisition to map an extreme avalanche period over the Swiss Alps Bühler, Yves Hafner, Elisabeth D. Zweifel, Benjamin Zesiger, Mathias Heisig, Holger 2019-12 electronic https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3225-2019 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00049682 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00049301/tc-13-3225-2019.pdf https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/13/3225/2019/tc-13-3225-2019.pdf eng eng Copernicus Publications The Cryosphere -- ˜Theœ Cryosphere -- http://www.bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de/ezeit/?2393169 -- http://www.the-cryosphere.net/ -- 1994-0424 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3225-2019 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00049682 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00049301/tc-13-3225-2019.pdf https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/13/3225/2019/tc-13-3225-2019.pdf https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ uneingeschränkt info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess CC-BY article Verlagsveröffentlichung article Text doc-type:article 2019 ftnonlinearchiv https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3225-2019 2022-02-08T22:37:13Z Accurate and timely information on avalanche occurrence is key for avalanche warning, crisis management and avalanche documentation. Today such information is mainly available at isolated locations provided by observers in the field. The achieved reliability, considering accuracy, completeness and reliability of the reported avalanche events, is limited. In this study we present the spatially continuous mapping of a large avalanche period in January 2018 covering the majority of the Swiss Alps (12 500 km2). We tested different satellite sensors available for rapid mapping during the first avalanche period. Based on these experiences, we tasked SPOT6 and SPOT7 for data acquisition to cover the second, much larger avalanche period. We manually mapped the outlines of 18 737 individual avalanche events, applying image enhancement techniques to analyze regions in the shade as well as in brightly illuminated ones. The resulting dataset of mapped avalanche outlines, having unique completeness and reliability, is evaluated to produce maps of avalanche occurrence and avalanche size. We validated the mapping of the avalanche outlines using photographs acquired from helicopters just after the avalanche period. This study demonstrates the applicability of optical, very high spatial resolution satellite data to map an exceptional avalanche period with very high completeness, accuracy and reliability over a large region. The generated avalanche data are of great value in validating avalanche bulletins, in completing existing avalanche databases and for research applications by enabling meaningful statistics on important avalanche parameters. Article in Journal/Newspaper The Cryosphere Niedersächsisches Online-Archiv NOA The Cryosphere 13 12 3225 3238 |
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Open Polar |
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Niedersächsisches Online-Archiv NOA |
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ftnonlinearchiv |
language |
English |
topic |
article Verlagsveröffentlichung |
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article Verlagsveröffentlichung Bühler, Yves Hafner, Elisabeth D. Zweifel, Benjamin Zesiger, Mathias Heisig, Holger Where are the avalanches? Rapid SPOT6 satellite data acquisition to map an extreme avalanche period over the Swiss Alps |
topic_facet |
article Verlagsveröffentlichung |
description |
Accurate and timely information on avalanche occurrence is key for avalanche warning, crisis management and avalanche documentation. Today such information is mainly available at isolated locations provided by observers in the field. The achieved reliability, considering accuracy, completeness and reliability of the reported avalanche events, is limited. In this study we present the spatially continuous mapping of a large avalanche period in January 2018 covering the majority of the Swiss Alps (12 500 km2). We tested different satellite sensors available for rapid mapping during the first avalanche period. Based on these experiences, we tasked SPOT6 and SPOT7 for data acquisition to cover the second, much larger avalanche period. We manually mapped the outlines of 18 737 individual avalanche events, applying image enhancement techniques to analyze regions in the shade as well as in brightly illuminated ones. The resulting dataset of mapped avalanche outlines, having unique completeness and reliability, is evaluated to produce maps of avalanche occurrence and avalanche size. We validated the mapping of the avalanche outlines using photographs acquired from helicopters just after the avalanche period. This study demonstrates the applicability of optical, very high spatial resolution satellite data to map an exceptional avalanche period with very high completeness, accuracy and reliability over a large region. The generated avalanche data are of great value in validating avalanche bulletins, in completing existing avalanche databases and for research applications by enabling meaningful statistics on important avalanche parameters. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bühler, Yves Hafner, Elisabeth D. Zweifel, Benjamin Zesiger, Mathias Heisig, Holger |
author_facet |
Bühler, Yves Hafner, Elisabeth D. Zweifel, Benjamin Zesiger, Mathias Heisig, Holger |
author_sort |
Bühler, Yves |
title |
Where are the avalanches? Rapid SPOT6 satellite data acquisition to map an extreme avalanche period over the Swiss Alps |
title_short |
Where are the avalanches? Rapid SPOT6 satellite data acquisition to map an extreme avalanche period over the Swiss Alps |
title_full |
Where are the avalanches? Rapid SPOT6 satellite data acquisition to map an extreme avalanche period over the Swiss Alps |
title_fullStr |
Where are the avalanches? Rapid SPOT6 satellite data acquisition to map an extreme avalanche period over the Swiss Alps |
title_full_unstemmed |
Where are the avalanches? Rapid SPOT6 satellite data acquisition to map an extreme avalanche period over the Swiss Alps |
title_sort |
where are the avalanches? rapid spot6 satellite data acquisition to map an extreme avalanche period over the swiss alps |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3225-2019 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00049682 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00049301/tc-13-3225-2019.pdf https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/13/3225/2019/tc-13-3225-2019.pdf |
genre |
The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
The Cryosphere |
op_relation |
The Cryosphere -- ˜Theœ Cryosphere -- http://www.bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de/ezeit/?2393169 -- http://www.the-cryosphere.net/ -- 1994-0424 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3225-2019 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00049682 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00049301/tc-13-3225-2019.pdf https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/13/3225/2019/tc-13-3225-2019.pdf |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ uneingeschränkt info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3225-2019 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
3225 |
op_container_end_page |
3238 |
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1766216749409107968 |