Monitoring the Surface Elevation Changes of a Monsoon Temperate Glacier with Repeated UAV Surveys, Mainri Mountains, China

Abstract

Due to the deep valleys, steep mountains and the influence of the Indian monsoon on the Mainri Mountains (Yunnan Province, China), it is difficult to estimate glacier change from microwave and optical remote sensing. To bridge the gap between low-quality space-borne remote sensing and scarce in situ measurements, airborne remote sensing, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), may provide a remarkable opportunity to monitor glacier change with high-quality tools. To determine monsoon temperate glacier change, three UAV surveys were conducted on the Melang Glacier in the Mainri Mountains in November 2019, April 2020 and November 2020. Then, glacier surface elevation changes were estimated from UAV orthophotos and DSMs. High accumulation and high ablation (+10.5 m and −13.5 m) were observed in the accumulation period and ablation period, with a mean surface elevation change of −3.0 m in the surveyed glacier area from November 2019 to November 2020. The avalanche, debris cover, ice cliffs and proglacial lake resulted in a heterogeneous pattern of glacier surface elevation changes. Given that the glacier is more sensitive to temperature, the Melang Glacier may have experienced a substantial recession and mass loss in the past few decades. This study provides a more appropriate approach for monitoring the changes in a temperate glacier in the Mainri Mountains.