Exploring the evolution of supraglacial drainage networks using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques
Abstract
The nature and efficiency of the supraglacial drainage system of valley glaciers is of vital importance, since it is the mechanism by which water is routed across a glacier surface and delivered, via crevasses, to the glacier bed, where it influences ice dynamics. Over a melt-season, a glacier's supraglacial network varies spatially and temporally as the contributing area, surface slope and water volume varies. Similarly, as melt rates change over the longer term, and as glaciers retreat, such changes in supraglacial drainage are also likely to occur, with implications for ice dynamics and for the delivery of meltwater to extra-glacial locations. Despite the importance of supraglacial drainage there are surprisingly few studies of supraglacial drainage pathways, and many that do exist are >20 years old. Furthermore, investigations of such pathways on polythermal glaciers are extremely rare, despite them being ideal laboratories for such investigations. There is an even greater need for an enhanced understanding here following the recent identification of ';cut and closure' drainage pathways by which englacial channels have been shown to evolve from supraglacial channels in polythermal glaciers, thus negating the need for crevasses to facilitate access to the englacial system. Here, we report on a recent field-season to the glacier Midtre Lovénbreen, Svalbard, where we used a UAV and SfM to explore the evolution of supraglacial channels. We report here on the strengths and weaknesses of the approach and also provide insights into the evolution of supraglacial drainage at high spatial and temporal evolution.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUFM.C33B0703R
- Keywords:
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- 0720 CRYOSPHERE Glaciers;
- 0776 CRYOSPHERE Glaciology;
- 0794 CRYOSPHERE Instruments and techniques;
- 0768 CRYOSPHERE Thermal regime