Surface Characteristics, Elevation Change, and Velocity of High-Arctic Valley Glacier from Repeated High-Resolution UAV Photogrammetry

Kristaps Lamsters,Pēteris Džeriņš,Jurijs Ješkins,Ireneusz Sobota,Jānis Karušs

doi:10.3390/rs14041029

Kristaps Lamsters, Pēteris Džeriņš + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14041029

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Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being increasingly used in glaciology demonstrating their potential for the generation of high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) that can be further used for the evaluation of glacial processes in detail. Such investigations are especially important for the evaluation of surface changes of small valley glaciers, which are not well-represented in lower-resolution satellite-derived products. In this study, we performed two UAV surveys at the end of the ablation season in 2019 and 2021 on Waldemarbreen, a High-Arctic glacier in NW Svalbard. We derived the mean annual glacier surface velocity of 5.3 m. The estimated mean glacier surface elevation change from 2019 to 2021 was −1.46 m a−1 which corresponds to the geodetic mass balance (MB) of −1.33 m w.e. a−1. The glaciological MB for the same period was −1.61 m w.e. a−1. Our survey includes all Waldemarbreen and demonstrates the efficiency of high-resolution DEMs produced from UAV photogrammetry for the reconstruction of changes in glacier surface elevation and velocity. We suggest that glaciological and geodetic MB methods should be used complementary to each other.

Highlights

Estimation of elevation and mass changes, velocity, and extent of glaciers are the key properties for the understanding of their responses to climate change and future development
A maximum elevation change of −11 m was reached at a small spot near the southern glacier slope due to the retreat of a steep ice cliff, but overall maximum surface change values were between −7 and −8 m at isolated sites near the southwestern margin of the glacier
This study shows that the geodetic mass balance (MB) calculated from surface changes in high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs), can be complementary to the glaciological MB and both methods should be used together, if possible

Summary

Introduction

Estimation of elevation and mass changes, velocity, and extent of glaciers are the key properties for the understanding of their responses to climate change and future development. Multitemporal studies give clues to the dynamics of seasonal and annual changes, their character, and their impact on glacier evolution, which is important for future models and predictions [1]. Svalbard, and the Kaffiøyra region in NW Spitsbergen where the glacier of this study is located [2,3,4,5,6,7,8] have been constantly retreating (except surging events), thinning at fronts, and showing more negative mass balance (MB) in the twenty-first century [9]. Monitoring glacier changes are crucial for the understanding of contemporary and future dynamics of the cryosphere and climate system. Thereby, small glaciers are especially sensitive and prone to melting and even disappearance in this century [10] but their changes are less well resolved, frequently due to the lower resolution and noise of satellite-derived products [6]

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