Tracking glacier surge evolution using interferometric SAR coherence—examples from Svalbard

We present a practically simple methodology for tracking glacier surge onset and evolution using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) coherence. Detecting surges early and monitoring their build-up is interesting for a multitude of scientific and safety-related aspects. We show that InSA...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Erik Schytt Mannerfelt, Thomas Schellenberger, Andreas M. Kääb
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Glaciology
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143025000279/type/journal_article
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Summary:We present a practically simple methodology for tracking glacier surge onset and evolution using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) coherence. Detecting surges early and monitoring their build-up is interesting for a multitude of scientific and safety-related aspects. We show that InSAR coherence maps allow the detection of surge-related instability on Svalbard many years before being detectable by, for instance, feature tracking or crevasse detection. Furthermore, we present derived data for two types of surges; down- and up-glacier propagating, with interestingly consistent surge propagation and post-surge relaxation rates. The method works well on Svalbard glaciers, and the data and core principle suggest a global applicability.
ISSN:0022-1430
1727-5652