Improved Geometric Modeling of 1960s KH-5 ARGON Satellite Images for Regional Antarctica Applications

Abstract

Long-term observations of the Antarctic ice sheet will contribute to a quantitative evaluation and precise prediction of the sea level change induced by global changes in climate. This paper proposes an improved rigorous geometric modeling method for the declassified <small>KH-5 ARGON</small> satellite images collected in Antarctica in 1960s. The scanned film images are preprocessed beforehand to enhance the quality for further analysis. Systematic errors such as lens distortion and atmospheric refraction are also considered and corrected. A scheme is proposed to measure the ground control points for the historical images based on modern image mosaic and <small>DEM</small> products. The bundle adjustment results of four blocks in regions in East Antarctica present a geometric positioning accuracy of less than one nominal pixel resolution (140 m) in both horizontal and vertical directions, outperforming the published results. A regional <small>DEM</small> of the ice sheet that represents the topography in 1963 is then generated from the stereo <small>ARGON</small> images for the first time, the evaluation of which shows its consistency with the modern product but with great value for studying the recent change history of the ice sheet.