Investigation on Miage/Brenva Glaciers in The Alps From 50s to-date Based on Remote-Sensing Data

Abstract

Abstract. The Miage and Brenva Glaciers in Mount Blanc Massif (Italy) are two of the major glaciers in the Alps. To assess the evolution of these glaciers, we use multiple data sources from remote sensing, and we adopt different techniques to extract important information on their conditions during a long period (i.e., ~60 years). The first approach, which is based on the use of aerial photos and satellite imagery (SPOT 6), allows assessing the volume change of Miage Glacier over the period 1952–2014. The second approach, which is based on the use of optical satellite observations such as Landsat 5/8/9 and Sentinel 2, aims to evaluate the spatial variability and the temporal trends of the snow cover of both glaciers from 1984 up to now. The achieved results, that are coherent with the ones reported by the scientific literature, show that volumetric changes of Miage Glacier underwent a period of gain between 1975–1991, followed by an impressive decay phase. Concerning the snow cover analysis, our findings highlight that for both glaciers the area covered by snow reduces persistently year-by-year, especially in the case of the Miage Glacier.