Photogrammetric methodology for the production of Geomorphologic maps: Application to the Veleta Rock Glacier (Sierra Nevada, Granada, Spain)

Abstract

In this paper we present a stereo feature-based method using SIFT (Scale-invariant feature transform) descriptors. We use automatic feature extractors, matching algorithms between images and techniques of robust estimation to produce a DTM (Digital Terrain Model) using convergent shots of a rock glacier.The geomorphologic structure observed in this study is the Veleta rock glacier (Sierra Nevada, Granada, Spain). This rock glacier is of high scientific interest because it is the southernmost active rock glacier in Europe and it has been analyzed every year since 2001. The research on the Veleta rock glacier is devoted to the study of its displacement and cartography through geodetic and photogrammetric techniques. © 2009 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.