Abstract
Abstract. Multi-temporal and fine-resolution topographic data products are increasingly used to quantify surface elevation change in glacial environments. In this study, we employ 3-D digital elevation model (DEM) differencing to quantify the topographic evolution of a blue-ice moraine complex in front of Patriot Hills, Heritage Range, Antarctica. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) was used to acquire multiple topographic datasets of the moraine surface at the beginning and end of the austral summer season in 2012/2013 and during a resurvey field campaign in 2014. A complementary topographic dataset was acquired at the end of season 1 through the application of structure from motion with multi-view stereo (SfM-MVS) photogrammetry to a set of aerial photographs acquired from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Three-dimensional cloud-to-cloud differencing was undertaken using the Multiscale Model to Model Cloud Comparison (M3C2) algorithm. DEM differencing revealed net uplift and lateral movement of the moraine crests within season 1 (mean uplift ~ 0.10 m) and surface lowering of a similar magnitude in some inter-moraine depressions and close to the current ice margin, although we are unable to validate the latter. Our results indicate net uplift across the site between seasons 1 and 2 (mean 0.07 m). This research demonstrates that it is possible to detect dynamic surface topographical change across glacial moraines over short (annual to intra-annual) timescales through the acquisition and differencing of fine-resolution topographic datasets. Such data offer new opportunities to understand the process linkages between surface ablation, ice flow and debris supply within moraine ice.
Highlights
Fine-resolution topographic data products are routinely used for the geomorphometric characterization of Earth surface landforms (e.g. Passalacqua et al, 2014, 2015; Tarolli, 2014)
This research seeks to quantify the shortterm surface evolution of a moraine complex in Patriot Hills, Heritage Range, Antarctica (Fig. 1), through the differencing and analysis of multi-temporal topographic datasets acquired using Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and the application of structure from motion with multi-view stereo (SfM-MVS) photogrammetry to optical imagery acquired from a low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sortie
This research has employed a combination of TLS and UAV-based SfM-MVS photogrammetry and 3-D differencing methods to quantify the topographic evolution of an Antarctic blue-ice moraine complex over annual and intraannual timescales
Summary
Fine-resolution topographic data products are routinely used for the geomorphometric characterization of Earth surface landforms (e.g. Passalacqua et al, 2014, 2015; Tarolli, 2014). Recent decades have seen the advent and uptake of a range of surveying technologies for characterizing the form and evolution of Earth surface topography on macro- (landscape; kilometres), meso- (landform; metres) and microscales (patch-scale; centimetre–millimetre) These technologies have included, amongst others, the use of satellite remote-sensing techniques Fine-resolution topographic datasets produced using airborne or ground-based lidar, or terrestrial or low-altitude aerial digital photogrammetry, have been used for a diverse range of applications in various glacial, proglacial and periglacial environments on a range of scales, including the quantification of ice surface evolution This research seeks to quantify the shortterm surface evolution of a moraine complex in Patriot Hills, Heritage Range, Antarctica (Fig. 1), through the differencing and analysis of multi-temporal topographic datasets acquired using TLS and the application of SfM-MVS photogrammetry to optical imagery acquired from a low-altitude UAV sortie
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call