Cartographic Representation of Glacial Phenomena: Historical and Recent Developments

Abstract

With the first systematic exploration of glacial phenomena in the middle of the nineteenth century, glaciology became an independent science. In parallel, glacial structures and processes needed to be visualized cartographically. Such representations always reflect the then current states of the technology of glaciological data collection and of cartography. Already in the last century, well-designed and user-friendly glacier maps with a high information content were published with the help of precise geodetic measurements and well-developed cartographic techniques. The focus was upon statistical illustration of the changes in glacier geometry and by glacial-morphological forming. In the 1950s, glaciologists started to represent dynamic parameters such as glacier fluctuations, mass balance, and ice flow. Furthermore, the topographic information of the printed maps was supplemented by orthophotos and satellite images. Today, in the age of digital cartography, screen representations become more and more important. Using digital photogrammetry and remote sensing, new methods of geophysical sounding, or satellite-based global positioning systems (GPS), large quantities of data can be recorded. Using geographic information systems (GIS), these data can be manipulated, modelled, compiled as digital elevation models (DEM), analysed, and finally visualized interactively as high-quality maps or as perspective views. Future trends point towards comprehensive, interactive glacial information systems with integrated functions for database query, modelling, and visualization.