Evaluating the potential of an airborne laser-scanning system for measuring volume changes of glaciers

Airborne laser scanning (ALS) is well suited for the production of digital elevation models (DEM), and can, in contrast to photographic methods, be used to acquire a DEM independently of surface texture and external light sources. ALS thus serves as a tool to generate DEMs of firn areas where photogrammetric methods often fail. The potential of an integrated ALS system - comprising a laser scanner, precise differential global positioning system, and a gyro platform - for DEM generation of firn areas is currently bring assessed. The Unteraargletscher, Bernese Alps, Switzerland, has been chosen as a test site. As parr of a pilot project aimed at determining the mass balance distribution of that glacier without the use of in situ information, ALS measurements were conducted in autumn 1997. The DEM derived from laser measurements is extremely sensitive to the position and attitude of the aircraft. Currently the main work focuses on assessing and improving the system's accuracy by error modelling and by the development of error-correction algorithms. Preliminary results from Unteraargletscher are presented, and the potential of this method for the generation of DEMs of firn areas is discussed.