Page 44 - World Airnews Magazine January 2020 Edition
P. 44

DRONES


                                  DRONES HELP MAP ICELAND'S



                                  DISAPPEARING GLACIERS


                                                           By Dominic Glasgow University of Dundee



































                                           mate change is physically and visibly affecting   Dr. Tomas Johannesson, co-ordinator of

                                           the region. To do this, we developed a novel   Glaciological Research at the Icelandic Me-


                new 3-D process which in-  process based on principles that are used by   teorological Office, said, "Outreach about
       Avolves old aerial photos and       glaciologists to measure ice-volume loss.  changes in the climate and the on-going

                                             "This method allows us to compose
        modern-day drone photography has shed   unique aerial views of past landscapes and   downwasting of glaciers of Iceland has
        light on accelerated ice loss from some of   to see how they have changed over the last   become increasingly important in our glaci-
                                                                               ological work at the Icelandic Meteorolog-
        Iceland's largest glaciers.        30 to 40 years. This period, which is within   ical Office in recent years. We have limited


         Dr. Kieran Baxter from the University of   living memory for many people, has seen   background and expertise in the creation


        Dundee has created composite images that   accelerated melt in Southeast Iceland.  of effective visual outreach material that


        compare views from 1980s aerial surveys   "While we have a fantastic resource of map-  shows the dramatic changes of the glaciers.


        to modern day photos captured with the   ping photographs from the 1980s, this method   Our collaboration with Kieran Baxter and

        help of state-of-the-art technology.  can also be applied to aerial photographs that   the University of Dundee is important for

         This revolutionary technique has allowed Dr.   are even older. The archives are huge and we   our public outreach and has proved effective



        Baxter to document the dramatic ice-loss on a   have barely scratched the surface in terms of   to explain the changes that have occurred in
        group of outlet glaciers on the south side of Vat-  using them to better show how the warming   recent decades. It is also important for our

        najökull, one of the largest ice caps in Europe.  climate is revealed in our landscapes."  collaboration with the Vatnajökull National


         Aerial mapping photographs taken by   Vatnajökull ice cap, which covers an area   Park and other organizations and agencies

        the National Land Survey of Iceland were   of 7,700 km², has lowered by around 20   for the creation of educational material and



        modelled in 3-D using photogrammetry   metres on average in the last 30 years.  exhibits about glaciers and glacier changes."


        software. While this process is routinely   The height of the outlet glaciers pictured   Dr. Thorvardur Arnason, Director of
        used by scientists to measure the historical   in the image comparisons has dropped even   the University of Iceland's Horna�ordur


        ice surface, here the models are aligned with   more, up to 100 to 150 metres in some areas   Research Centre said, "Dr. Baxter's highly
        current day drone photographs to highlight   near the termini, during that time. The glacier   innovative work adds new dimensions


        the impact of climate change on the region.  ice margins are now retreating tens of metres,   both to the monitoring of glacier recession

         Dr. Baxter, a researcher from the   and in some areas hundreds of metres, every   and to the communication of the severe

        3DVisLab at the University's Duncan of   year. The area of the icecap has been reduced   impacts caused by catastrophic climate
        Jordanstone College of Art and Design, led   by over 400 km² since the turn of the century.  change on sensitive environments. The de-

        the two-year project in collaboration with   The images produced by Dr. Baxter were   velopment of such novel vehicles for public

        the University of Iceland and the Icelandic   shared by the Icelandic Meteorological   outreach- where science and art essentially



        Meteorological Office, who conduct glacier   Office to coincide with the IPCC's "Special   share a common platform - is of great



        monitoring in the country.         Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a   importance in our attempts to understand

         He said, "We have been working to produce   Changing Climate." It is hoped that they will   and address the unprecedented scale,
        images that are both engaging and easy to   help promote public outreach for climate   diversity and complexity of the ongoing
        understand. It is important to show how cli-  science and glaciology in Iceland.  climate crisis." Q
                                                  World Airnews | January 2020
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