Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-2024-10
https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-2024-10
21 Oct 2024
 | 21 Oct 2024
Status: a revised version of this preprint was accepted for the journal GI and is expected to appear here in due course.

Review of methodological considerations and recommendations for mapping remote glaciers from aerial photography surveys in suboptimal conditions

Dorota Medrzycka, Luke Copland, Laura Thomson, William Kochtitzky, and Braden Smeda

Abstract. Structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry coupled with multiview stereo (MVS) techniques are widely used for generating topographic data for monitoring change in surface elevation. However, study sites on remote glaciers and ice caps often offer suboptimal conditions, including large survey areas, complex topography, changing weather and light conditions, poor contrast over ice and snow, and reduced satellite positioning performance. Here, we provide a review of methodological considerations for conducting aerial photography surveys under challenging field conditions. We generate topographic reconstructions, outlining the entire workflow, from data acquisition to SfM-MVS processing, using case studies focused around two small glaciers in Arctic Canada. We provide recommendations for the selection of photographic and positioning hardware and guidelines for flexible survey design using direct measurements of camera positions, thereby removing the need for ground control points. The focus is on maximising hardware performance despite inherent limitations, with the aim of optimising the quality and quantity of the source data, including image information and control measurements, despite suboptimal conditions.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Share
Download
Short summary
This work explores the use of aerial photography surveys for mapping glaciers, specifically in...
Share