GIS‐based modeling of glacial hazards and their interactions using Landsat‐TM and IKONOS imagery

Abstract

Hazard interactions in glacial and periglacial environments are of crucial importance due to their potential for causing major catastrophes. Nevertheless, glacial and periglacial hazards have usually been modeled separately to date. In this study, we therefore propose a methodological strategy for modeling and assessing glacial and periglacial hazard interactions on a regional scale, including ice avalanches, lake outbursts and periglacial debris flows. Due to climate-related rapid changes in glacial and periglacial areas, methods which incorporate monitoring capacities are needed. Hence, the methods presented here are based on remote sensing data, which are particularly powerful for monitoring tasks, and GIS modeling. For ice avalanche and lake-outburst hazard detection and modeling, we applied recently published methods based on Landsat-TM imagery, terrain modeling and flow routing. For detection of potential debris-flow initiation zones in steep debris reservoirs, we present a novel method based on image processing of IKONOS data and terrain modeling, followed by flow modeling. Using this method, we achieve the synthesis of the individual process modeling in order to assess the potential interactions. The modeling is applied to a study region in the central Swiss Alps. The results show that systematic modeling based on remote sensing and GIS is suitable for first-order assessment of glacial and periglacial hazard interactions as well as assessments of possible consequences, including impacts on traffic routes and other infrastructure. Based on this, critical cases can be detected and analyzed by subsequent detailed studies.

Remote sensing of glacier- and permafrost-related hazards in high mountains: an overview

“…22 and 23) (Meissl, 1998;Liang and MacKay, 2000;Dorren, 2003;Dorren and Seijmonsbergen, 2003;Stevens et al, 2003;Huggel et al, 2004c;Salzmann et al, 2004;Sheridan et al, 2004;Noetzli et al, 2005). Hydrological flowrouting models can be modified in order to give some probability measures (Huggel et al, 2003b) or to allow estimates of the mass volumes involved (Iverson et al, 1998).…”

“…Once a model indicates potentially endangered areas, remote sensing supports the mapping and investigation of settlements and infrastructure at risk, or the assessment of possible chain reactions and secondary effects (e.g. Huggel et al, 2004c).…”

“…They are able to cover large areas without ground access needed, data are comparably cheap and well accessible, and for some sensors a repeat cycle of a few days is possible (Gao and Liu, 2001;Huggel, 2004;Kääb, 2004 mapping and monitoring ground cover and its changes. It is often used for detecting hazard source areas and terrain changes, and for mapping of endangered zones (Buchroithner et al, 1982;Kääb et al, , 2003cHuggel et al, 2002Huggel et al, , 2004cLiu et al, 2005;Silverio and Jaquet, 2005). …”

“…-A texture analysis based on high-resolution satellite (or aerial) imagery combined with DTM slope helps to detect steep, and possibly frozen, debris slopes prone to debris flow initiation (Huggel et al, 2004c). …”

Remote Sensing of Cryosphere

“…Studies have used Landsat (Ambinakudige, 2010), SPOT (Berthier et al, 2007), Terra ASTER (Rivera & Casassa, 1999;Kaab, 2007), IRS (Kulkarni et al 2011), and ALOS (Narama et al, 2007) sensors successfully to measure glacial parameters. High-resolution satellite data such as IKONOS (Huggel et al, 2004) and Quickbird (Schmidt, 2009) have also been used in studies on glaciers. ASTER, SPOT5, IRS-1C, Resourcesat1 and 2, CORONA KH-4, KH 4A and KH 4B satellites have the capability to acquire stereoscopic images from which elevation data can be extracted for monitoring glacial surfaces in three dimensions (Racoviteanu, et al 2008).…”