Utilisation of remote sensing for the study of debris-covered glaciers: development and testing of techniques on Miage Glacier, Italian Alps
type: CreativeWork
description: An increase in the number of debris-covered glaciers and expansion of debris cover across many glaciers has been documented in many of the world’s major glacierised mountain ranges over the last 100 years. Debris cover has a profound impact on glacier mass balance with thick layers insulating the underlying ice and dramatically reducing ablation, while thin or patchy cover accelerates ablation through albedo reduction. Few debris-covered glaciers have been studied in comparison with ‘clean’ glaciers and their response to climatic change is uncertain. Remote sensing, integrated with field data, offers a powerful but as yet unrealised tool for studying and monitoring changes in debris-covered glaciers. Hence, this thesis focuses on two key aims: i) to test the utility of visible/near infrared satellite sensors, such as TERRA ASTER, for studying debris-covered glaciers; ii) to develop techniques to fully exploit the capability of these satellite sensors to extract useful information, and monitor changes over time. Research was focused on four interrelated studies at the Miage Glacier, in the Italian Alps. First, a new method of extracting debris-thickness patterns from ASTER thermal-band imagery was developed, based on a physical energy-balance model for a debris surface. The method was found to be more accurate than previous empirical approaches, when compared with field thickness measurements, and has the potential advantage of transferability to other sites. The high spatial variability of 2 m air temperature, which does not conform to a standard lapse rate, presents a difficulty for this approach and was identified as an important area for future research. Secondly, ASTER and Landsat TM data are used to map debris-cover extent and its change over time using several different methods. A number of problems were encountered in mapping debris extent including cloud cover and snow confusion, spatial resolution, and identifying the boundary between continuous and sporadi…
abstract: An increase in the number of debris-covered glaciers and expansion of debris cover across many glaciers has been documented in many of the world’s major glacierised mountain ranges over the last 100 years. Debris cover has a profound impact on glacier mass balance with thick layers insulating the underlying ice and dramatically reducing ablation, while thin or patchy cover accelerates ablation through albedo reduction. Few debris-covered glaciers have been studied in comparison with ‘clean’ glaciers and their response to climatic change is uncertain. Remote sensing, integrated with field data, offers a powerful but as yet unrealised tool for studying and monitoring changes in debris-covered glaciers. Hence, this thesis focuses on two key aims: i) to test the utility of visible/near infrared satellite sensors, such as TERRA ASTER, for studying debris-covered glaciers; ii) to develop techniques to fully exploit the capability of these satellite sensors to extract useful information, and monitor changes over time. Research was focused on four interrelated studies at the Miage Glacier, in the Italian Alps. First, a new method of extracting debris-thickness patterns from ASTER thermal-band imagery was developed, based on a physical energy-balance model for a debris surface. The method was found to be more accurate than previous empirical approaches, when compared with field thickness measurements, and has the potential advantage of transferability to other sites. The high spatial variability of 2 m air temperature, which does not conform to a standard lapse rate, presents a difficulty for this approach and was identified as an important area for future research. Secondly, ASTER and Landsat TM data are used to map debris-cover extent and its change over time using several different methods. A number of problems were encountered in mapping debris extent including cloud cover and snow confusion, spatial resolution, and identifying the boundary between continuous and sporadi…
author: Foster, Lesley A.
language: eng
keywords: Debris-covered glacier, ASTER, Energy balance modelling, Debris extent monitoring, Surface elevation change monitoring, Rock mapping, Miage Glacier, Advanced Spacebourne Thermal Emission and Reflectance radiometer (ASTER), Remote sensing
date published: 2010
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:07:39Z
provider: University of Dundee
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Dundee