Glacier surface velocity estimation in the West Kunlun Mountain range from L-band ALOS/PALSAR images using modified synthetic aperture radar offset-tracking procedure

Glacier movement is closely related to changes in climatic, hydrological, and geological factors. However, detecting glacier surface flow velocity with conventional ground surveys is challenging. Remote sensing techniques, especially synthetic aperture radar (SAR), provide regular observations covering larger-scale glacier regions. Glacier surface flow velocity in the West Kunlun Mountains using modified offset-tracking techniques based on ALOS/PALSAR images is estimated. Three maps of glacier flow velocity for the period 2007 to 2010 are derived from procedures of offset detection using cross correlation in the Fourier domain and global offset elimination of thin plate smooth splines. Our results indicate that, on average, winter glacier motion on the North Slope is 1 cm/day faster than on the South Slope-a result which corresponds well with the local topography. The performance of our method as regards the reliability of extracted displacements and the robustness of this algorithm are discussed. The SAR-based offset tracking is proven to be reliable and robust, making it possible to investigate comprehensive glacier movement and its response mechanism to environmental change. (C) The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.