New Zealand Journal of Geology & Geophysics abstracts
Satellite remote sensing procedures for glacial terrain analyses
and hazard assessment in the Aoraki Mount Cook region, New Zealand
Simon Allen
Ian Owens
Department of Geography
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
simon.allen@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
Pascal Sirguey
Global Land Ice Monitoring from Space (GLIMS)
School of Surveying
University of Otago
PO Box 56
Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
Abstract Hazards originating within glacial
environments have
received limited attention in New Zealand. In view of rapidly changing
environmental conditions and the need for ongoing monitoring, overseas
studies have recognised the importance of remote sensing procedures to
support related hazard investigations. The initial goal for regional
hazard studies is the identification of potential source areas on the
basis of terrain analyses. Following a review of remotely sensed
imagery and its application in glacial studies, several methods are
applied here to map glacial ice, lakes, and debris accumulations in the
Mount Cook region of New Zealand using freely available ASTER imagery.
A new method for mapping turbid and clear water glacial lakes is
presented, and the first application of a method for mapping debris
accumulations at the regional scale appears promising for debris flow
hazard investigations. Analyses of terrain changes reveal that a 20%
expansion in lake area has continued over recent years, increasing the
hazard potential from mass movement induced outburst flooding. A
framework for the assessment of hazard potential in the region is
introduced, requiring the integration of terrain analyses presented
here with permafrost distribution modelling, geological mapping, and
topographic analyses.
Keywords glacial hazard; glacial change;
remote sensing;
terrain analyses; ASTER; New Zealand
G07022; Online publication date 29 February 2008; Received 29 August
2007; accepted 31 January 2008
New Zealand Journal of Geology & Geophysics, 2008, Vol. 51:
73–87
0028–8306/08/5101–0073 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2008
PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality
(7639K) | screen-quality (742K)
This year's abstracts |
Journal home page |
All abstracts |
Publishing home page
