Mapping Svalbard glaciers with the cryowing UAS

Abstract

The remoteness of most Svalbard glaciers makes it difficult to perform regular in situ monitoring, especially in the melting season. Terminus areas (into the sea) and crevassed areas are in practice only accessible from the air. In this paper, first investigations on the feasibility of UAS based 3D measurements of glacier elevation is performed. The results show that UAS can be a valuable tool for glacier measurements in remote areas like Svalbard, where the only real alternative to measure glacier elevation in the ablation zone during the melt season is by manned aircraft. Imagery from repeated observations within a few days can be used to estimate dynamic mass loss rates when coupled to 3D modeling and feature tracking. Retrieval of these data is valuable, especially for glaciers terminating in the sea and surging glaciers.