Application of geomorphons for analysing changes in the morphology of a proglacial valley (case study: The Scott River, SW Svalbard)
The progressive degradation of the cryosphere of High-Arctic areas causes an increase in the dynamics of geomorphic processes that shape the valleys of rapidly retreating glaciers. Those especially sensitive to global environmental changes are the small, land-ending valley glaciers that are in the p...
| Published in: | Geomorphology |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2020
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/51691/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/51691/1/Gawrysiak.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2020.107449 |
| Summary: | The progressive degradation of the cryosphere of High-Arctic areas causes an increase in the dynamics of geomorphic processes that shape the valleys of rapidly retreating glaciers. Those especially sensitive to global environmental changes are the small, land-ending valley glaciers that are in the phase of strong retreat. Under these conditions, the river valley's floors that are drained by proglacial waters are constantly undergoing intensive changes. For the analysis of these changes, two methods were used simultaneously (as a synthesis) to allow for quantitative and qualitative evaluation. The first one is the increasingly more common DoD method (DEM of difference), which allows quantifying volumetric changes as a result of topographic differentiation. The second one, which was applied for the first time on a small-valley spatial scale, is the geomorphons method that makes it possible to assess the stability of landforms and to determine the directions of their new development. To judge the applicability (advantages and disadvantages) of both methods for analysis of geomorphic changes in rapidly changing proglacial environments, the study was carried out over a 3.3 km distance of the non-glaciated section of the Scott River valley course (NW Wedel-Jarlsberg Land, SW Svalbard). This area (1.3 km2) is currently shaped by a braided gravel-bed river. More accurately, the study focused on the section spanning from the glacier terminus, which is the source of the Scott River, to its outlet at the Rechersche Fjord (Bellsundfiorden). The foundation for the development of comparative elevation models was a collection of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) surveys that were taken with a Leica ScanStation C10 scanner during the 2010 and 2013 snowmelt seasons. On the basis of these surveys and with the use of TIN interpolation, high-resolution (0.2 m) digital terrain models (DTMs) were generated. The DTM models that had been prepared in this manner were used for the analysis of surface changes by employing Geomorphic Change ... |
|---|