Monitoring the annual geodetic mass balance of Bordu and Sary-Tor glaciers using UAV data
The geodetic mass balance of a glacier corresponds to glacier-wide volume changes, converted to mass changes using density assumptions. It is typically calculated by differencing multi-temporal digital elevation models. In this study, we show how the annual geodetic mass balance of a glacier can be...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | Annals of Glaciology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S026030552300071X/type/journal_article |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850270414241005568 |
|---|---|
| author | Lander Van Tricht Chloë Marie Paice Oleg Rybak Victor Popovnin Rysbek Satylkanov Philippe Huybrechts |
| author_facet | Lander Van Tricht Chloë Marie Paice Oleg Rybak Victor Popovnin Rysbek Satylkanov Philippe Huybrechts |
| author_sort | Lander Van Tricht |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The geodetic mass balance of a glacier corresponds to glacier-wide volume changes, converted to mass changes using density assumptions. It is typically calculated by differencing multi-temporal digital elevation models. In this study, we show how the annual geodetic mass balance of a glacier can be derived from uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) data. The presented workflow is applied to two small- to medium-sized glaciers in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan (Central Asia): Bordu glacier and Sary-Tor glacier. The obtained geodetic mass balance is compared with the glaciological mass balance derived from a network of ablation stakes and snow pits. A previously calibrated mass-balance model is used to correct for the difference in acquisition dates. The results show that the determined geodetic mass balance matches closely with the glaciological mass balance. Besides, for both glaciers the geodetic mass balance does not seem to be particularly sensitive to the assumptions regarding volume-to-mass conversion. Therefore, our results demonstrate that UAVs can serve as a valuable instrument to quantify the annual geodetic mass balance and to validate the glaciological mass balance. The conventional glaciological mass-balance estimation often relies on interpolation and extrapolation methods, whereas UAVs offer the potential for direct data acquisition over the entire glacier surface. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0f1fbd7fd15e43b2aad496338f2d8f5d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0260-3055 1727-5644 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annals of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj-art-0f1fbd7fd15e43b2aad496338f2d8f5d2025-08-20T01:52:40ZengCambridge University PressAnnals of Glaciology0260-30551727-56442023-09-016432032910.1017/aog.2023.71Monitoring the annual geodetic mass balance of Bordu and Sary-Tor glaciers using UAV dataLander Van Tricht0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7619-8955Chloë Marie Paice1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1143-1362Oleg Rybak2Victor Popovnin3Rysbek Satylkanov4Philippe Huybrechts5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1406-0525Earth System Science & Departement Geografie, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B−1050 Brussels, BelgiumEarth System Science & Departement Geografie, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B−1050 Brussels, BelgiumEarth System Science & Departement Geografie, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B−1050 Brussels, Belgium Water Problems Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Gubkina 3, Moscow 119333, Russia SRC SSC RAS, ul. Ya. Fabritsiusa 2/28, Sochi 354002, RussiaDepartment of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1 Leninskie Gory, 119991 Moscow, RussiaTien Shan High Mountains Scientific Center at the Institute of Water Problems and Hydropower of the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyz Republic, ul. Pionerskaya 9, Kyzyl Suu 722000, Kyrgyzstan Scientific Research Center of Ecology and Environment of the Central Asia, Erkindik blvd, Bishkek 720040, KyrgyzstanEarth System Science & Departement Geografie, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B−1050 Brussels, BelgiumThe geodetic mass balance of a glacier corresponds to glacier-wide volume changes, converted to mass changes using density assumptions. It is typically calculated by differencing multi-temporal digital elevation models. In this study, we show how the annual geodetic mass balance of a glacier can be derived from uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) data. The presented workflow is applied to two small- to medium-sized glaciers in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan (Central Asia): Bordu glacier and Sary-Tor glacier. The obtained geodetic mass balance is compared with the glaciological mass balance derived from a network of ablation stakes and snow pits. A previously calibrated mass-balance model is used to correct for the difference in acquisition dates. The results show that the determined geodetic mass balance matches closely with the glaciological mass balance. Besides, for both glaciers the geodetic mass balance does not seem to be particularly sensitive to the assumptions regarding volume-to-mass conversion. Therefore, our results demonstrate that UAVs can serve as a valuable instrument to quantify the annual geodetic mass balance and to validate the glaciological mass balance. The conventional glaciological mass-balance estimation often relies on interpolation and extrapolation methods, whereas UAVs offer the potential for direct data acquisition over the entire glacier surface.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S026030552300071X/type/journal_articleglacier mappingglacier mass balanceglacier monitoringglaciological instruments and methodsmass-balance reconstruction |
| spellingShingle | Lander Van Tricht Chloë Marie Paice Oleg Rybak Victor Popovnin Rysbek Satylkanov Philippe Huybrechts Monitoring the annual geodetic mass balance of Bordu and Sary-Tor glaciers using UAV data Annals of Glaciology glacier mapping glacier mass balance glacier monitoring glaciological instruments and methods mass-balance reconstruction |
| title | Monitoring the annual geodetic mass balance of Bordu and Sary-Tor glaciers using UAV data |
| title_full | Monitoring the annual geodetic mass balance of Bordu and Sary-Tor glaciers using UAV data |
| title_fullStr | Monitoring the annual geodetic mass balance of Bordu and Sary-Tor glaciers using UAV data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Monitoring the annual geodetic mass balance of Bordu and Sary-Tor glaciers using UAV data |
| title_short | Monitoring the annual geodetic mass balance of Bordu and Sary-Tor glaciers using UAV data |
| title_sort | monitoring the annual geodetic mass balance of bordu and sary tor glaciers using uav data |
| topic | glacier mapping glacier mass balance glacier monitoring glaciological instruments and methods mass-balance reconstruction |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S026030552300071X/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT landervantricht monitoringtheannualgeodeticmassbalanceofborduandsarytorglaciersusinguavdata AT chloemariepaice monitoringtheannualgeodeticmassbalanceofborduandsarytorglaciersusinguavdata AT olegrybak monitoringtheannualgeodeticmassbalanceofborduandsarytorglaciersusinguavdata AT victorpopovnin monitoringtheannualgeodeticmassbalanceofborduandsarytorglaciersusinguavdata AT rysbeksatylkanov monitoringtheannualgeodeticmassbalanceofborduandsarytorglaciersusinguavdata AT philippehuybrechts monitoringtheannualgeodeticmassbalanceofborduandsarytorglaciersusinguavdata |