Changes in glacier geometry and extent in Svalbard: Implications for sea-level rise during the 20th and 21st centuries

Abstract

In the summer of 2004, five GEF Leica 530 Series GPSs were deployed to Svalbard, Norway to support a NERC Airborne Research and Survey Facility (ARSF) campaign to collect aerial photography, lidar and optical data (i.e. ATM and CASI) over 12 benchmark glaciers around the archipelago for NERC project NE/B505203/1 (SLICES). The overall aim of this project is to measure and predict past and future sea level rise contributions, respectively, using historical and contemporary topographic datasets derived through remote collection methods. The objectives of the GPS data collection were to collect: (i) static base station data for the airborne survey, including short and long baseline lidar processing; (ii) ground control data for controlling aerial photography; and (iii) independent check data for the assessment of topographic data. The quality of the GPS data was of paramount importance for ensuring the quality of derived data used throughout the project. The following document reports on the collection of the GPS data and discusses any issues that emerged.