Derivation of Glaciological Parameters from Time Series of Multi-Mission Remote Sensing Data

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Derivation of Glaciological Parameters from Time Series of Multi-Mission Remote Sensing Data Derivation of glaciological parameters from time series of multi-mission remote sensing data – Applications to glaciers in Antarctica and the Karakoram Ableitung glaziologischer Parameter aus Fernerkundungsdatenzeitreihen – Anwendungen an Gletschern in der Antarktis und im Karakorum Der Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades Dr. rer. nat. vorgelegt von Peter Friedl aus Nürnberg Als Dissertation genehmigt von der Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 09.12.2019 Vorsitzender des Promotionsorgans: Prof. Dr. Georg Kreimer Gutachter/in: Prof. Dr. Matthias Braun Prof. Dr. Angelika Humbert Table of contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. V Abbreviations .......................................................................................................... VII Summary .................................................................................................................. XI Zusammenfassung ................................................................................................ XIV 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 2 Structure of the thesis ....................................................................................... 5 3 Theoretical background of glaciological remote sensing .............................. 8 3.1 Radar remote sensing ................................................................................... 8 3.1.1 Fundamentals of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) ................................. 8 3.1.2 SAR image analysis .............................................................................. 11 3.1.3 SAR intensity offset tracking ................................................................. 14 3.1.4 SAR interferometry ............................................................................... 17 3.1.5 Sentinel-1: a revolutionary SAR system for glaciological time series analysis . ............................................................................................................. 23 3.2 Multispectral optical imagery ....................................................................... 27 3.3 Spaceborne laser altimetry and airborne lidar ............................................. 30 3.4 Airborne ground penetrating radar ............................................................... 33 4 Motivations, research goals and own contributions in scientific papers ... 35 4.1 Remote sensing of grounding lines (Section 5) ........................................... 35 4.2 Wordie Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula (Section 6) ....................................... 37 4.3 Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctic Ice Sheet (Section 7) ........................... 39 4.4 Baltoro Glacier, Karakoram (Section 8) ....................................................... 40 5 Remote sensing of glacier and ice sheet grounding lines: a review ........... 43 5.1 Abstract ....................................................................................................... 43 5.2 Introduction .................................................................................................. 43 I 5.3 Grounding zone features ............................................................................. 45 5.4 Remote Sensing Methods for Grounding Line Proxy Mapping .................... 48 5.4.1 Tidal methods ....................................................................................... 49 5.4.1.1 SAR Interferometry .......................................................................... 49 5.4.1.2 SAR Differential Range Offset Tracking (DROT) ............................. 53 5.4.1.3 Repeat Track Laser Altimetry (RTLA) .............................................. 56 5.4.1.4 Pseudo Crossover Radar-Altimetry (PCRA) .................................... 58 5.4.2 Surface slope methods ......................................................................... 60 5.4.2.1 Locating the break in surface slope in surface elevation data ......... 60 5.4.2.2 Locating the break in surface slope from shading in optical satellite imagery 62 5.4.3 Hydrostatic Methods ............................................................................. 64 5.4.4 Other methods ...................................................................................... 67 5.4.5 Synthesis .............................................................................................. 68 5.5 Remote sensing missions and data ............................................................. 71 5.6 Freely available grounding line datasets ..................................................... 77 5.7 Conclusions ................................................................................................. 83 6 Recent dynamic changes on Fleming Glacier after the disintegration of Wordie Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula .................................................................. 86 6.1 Abstract ....................................................................................................... 86 6.2 Introduction .................................................................................................. 87 6.3 Study site ..................................................................................................... 89 6.4 Data ............................................................................................................. 91 6.5 Methods ....................................................................................................... 93 6.5.1 Surface velocities .................................................................................. 93 6.5.2 Elevation change .................................................................................. 94 6.5.3 Floating area (hydrostatic height anomalies) and estimation of recent grounding line .................................................................................................... 97 II 6.6 Results ........................................................................................................ 99 6.6.1 Surface velocities .................................................................................. 99 6.6.2 Elevation change ................................................................................ 103 6.6.3 Floating area (hydrostatic height anomalies) and estimation of recent grounding line .................................................................................................. 106 6.7 Discussion ................................................................................................. 108 6.8 Conclusions ............................................................................................... 112 7 Bathymetric controls on calving processes at Pine Island Glacier ........... 115 7.1 Abstract ..................................................................................................... 115 7.2 Introduction ................................................................................................ 115 7.3 Methods ..................................................................................................... 118 7.3.1 Swath bathymetry ............................................................................... 118 7.3.2 Remote sensing .................................................................................. 118 7.3.3 Ice thickness data ............................................................................... 119 7.4 Results ...................................................................................................... 120 7.4.1 Bathymetry .......................................................................................... 120 7.4.2 Ice-shelf contact with the bathymetric ridge ........................................ 121 7.4.3 Calving events .................................................................................... 123 7.5 Discussion ................................................................................................. 125 7.6 Conclusions ............................................................................................... 130 8 Impacts of climate and supraglacial lakes on the surface velocity of Baltoro Glacier from 1992 to 2017 .................................................................................... 132 8.1 Abstract ..................................................................................................... 132 8.2 Introduction ................................................................................................ 133 8.3 Study site ................................................................................................... 134 8.4 Data ........................................................................................................... 136 8.5 Methodology .............................................................................................. 137 III 8.5.1 Surface velocities ................................................................................ 137 8.5.2 Accuracy assessment of surface velocities ......................................... 138 8.5.3 Supraglacial lakes detection ............................................................... 139 8.5.4 Precipitation and temperature ............................................................
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