GNSS reflectometry from low-cost sensors for continuous in situ contemporaneous glacier mass balance and flux divergence
Recent advances in remote sensing have produced global glacier surface elevation change data. Parsing these elevation change signals into contributions from the climate (i.e. climatic mass balance) and glacier dynamics (i.e. flux divergence) is critical to enhance our process-based understanding of...
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Cambridge University Press
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143024000546/type/journal_article |
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| author | Albin Wells David Rounce Louis Sass Caitlyn Florentine Adam Garbo Emily Baker Christopher McNeil |
| author_facet | Albin Wells David Rounce Louis Sass Caitlyn Florentine Adam Garbo Emily Baker Christopher McNeil |
| author_sort | Albin Wells |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent advances in remote sensing have produced global glacier surface elevation change data. Parsing these elevation change signals into contributions from the climate (i.e. climatic mass balance) and glacier dynamics (i.e. flux divergence) is critical to enhance our process-based understanding of glacier change. In this study, we evaluate three approaches for direct, continuous measurements of the climatic mass balance, flux divergence and elevation change at a site on Gulkana Glacier in Alaska using low-cost global navigation satellite system (GNSS) sensors, GNSS interferometric reflectometry (GNSS-IR), banded ablation stakes with time-lapse cameras and combinations thereof. Cumulative climatic mass balance over the season was 4.85 m and the three approaches were within 0.08 m through early July before the snowpack melted, and within 0.28 m through mid-August. The flux divergence increased from 0.52 ± 0.03 cm d−1 before June 3 to about 0.73 cm d−1 after June 27. We demonstrate a single GNSS system fixed atop an ablation stake can measure contemporaneous climatic mass balance, flux divergence and elevation change based on the antenna's position and GNSS-IR techniques. The ability of these systems to measure glacier mass balance and flux divergence offers unique opportunities for year-round observations on mountain glaciers in the future. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9f769077990741708bc9c7f0d2d2b3b6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj-art-9f769077990741708bc9c7f0d2d2b3b62025-01-16T21:50:26ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522024-01-017010.1017/jog.2024.54GNSS reflectometry from low-cost sensors for continuous in situ contemporaneous glacier mass balance and flux divergenceAlbin Wells0https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6472-3664David Rounce1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4481-4191Louis Sass2Caitlyn Florentine3Adam Garbo4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7312-7390Emily Baker5Christopher McNeil6https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4170-0428Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USACivil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USAU.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, USAU.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Boseman, MT, USADepartment of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, CanadaU.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, USAU.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, USARecent advances in remote sensing have produced global glacier surface elevation change data. Parsing these elevation change signals into contributions from the climate (i.e. climatic mass balance) and glacier dynamics (i.e. flux divergence) is critical to enhance our process-based understanding of glacier change. In this study, we evaluate three approaches for direct, continuous measurements of the climatic mass balance, flux divergence and elevation change at a site on Gulkana Glacier in Alaska using low-cost global navigation satellite system (GNSS) sensors, GNSS interferometric reflectometry (GNSS-IR), banded ablation stakes with time-lapse cameras and combinations thereof. Cumulative climatic mass balance over the season was 4.85 m and the three approaches were within 0.08 m through early July before the snowpack melted, and within 0.28 m through mid-August. The flux divergence increased from 0.52 ± 0.03 cm d−1 before June 3 to about 0.73 cm d−1 after June 27. We demonstrate a single GNSS system fixed atop an ablation stake can measure contemporaneous climatic mass balance, flux divergence and elevation change based on the antenna's position and GNSS-IR techniques. The ability of these systems to measure glacier mass balance and flux divergence offers unique opportunities for year-round observations on mountain glaciers in the future.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143024000546/type/journal_articleGlacier mass balanceice velocitymountain glaciers |
| spellingShingle | Albin Wells David Rounce Louis Sass Caitlyn Florentine Adam Garbo Emily Baker Christopher McNeil GNSS reflectometry from low-cost sensors for continuous in situ contemporaneous glacier mass balance and flux divergence Journal of Glaciology Glacier mass balance ice velocity mountain glaciers |
| title | GNSS reflectometry from low-cost sensors for continuous in situ contemporaneous glacier mass balance and flux divergence |
| title_full | GNSS reflectometry from low-cost sensors for continuous in situ contemporaneous glacier mass balance and flux divergence |
| title_fullStr | GNSS reflectometry from low-cost sensors for continuous in situ contemporaneous glacier mass balance and flux divergence |
| title_full_unstemmed | GNSS reflectometry from low-cost sensors for continuous in situ contemporaneous glacier mass balance and flux divergence |
| title_short | GNSS reflectometry from low-cost sensors for continuous in situ contemporaneous glacier mass balance and flux divergence |
| title_sort | gnss reflectometry from low cost sensors for continuous in situ contemporaneous glacier mass balance and flux divergence |
| topic | Glacier mass balance ice velocity mountain glaciers |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143024000546/type/journal_article |
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