Recent advances in sensing technology have resulted in the development of a range of ground-based methods which can “sense” cryospheric environments at high spatial (millimetre to centimetre scale) and temporal (minutes to hours) resolutions. Such close-range sensors can be used to observe rapidly evolving processes (e.g. iceberg calving, glacial lake outburst floods, supraglacial lake drainage events, snow accumulation/melting) as well as cryospheric environment at small spatial scales (e.g. small glaciers, glacierets, snow patches, rock glaciers). Such processes and environments cannot be observed using satellite Earth Observation techniques due to their coarse spatial resolution and long revisit times. In particular, close-range sensors are flexible in their deployment in the field and can observe cryospheric phenomenon from a range of viewing angles which is particularly beneficial in environments with complex topography which are commonplace across the cryosphere. Close-range sensors are therefore critical for improving process understanding but also for monitoring cryospheric hazards and the development of hazard warning systems.
In this session, we welcome contributions related to a variety of close-range sensing methods, including, but not limited to, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), radar, time-lapse photography, TLS and LiDAR. Contributions may include field-based applications, laboratory experiments, development of new systems (e.g. payloads, sensors), novel sensing networks, and new approaches related to the processing and analysis of these data. We strongly welcome case studies from all parts of the cryosphere, including glaciers (both land-based or calving), ice sheets, snow and firn, glacial and periglacial environments, and sea ice. The focus of this session will be to share experiences of developing and applying close-range sensors for cryospheric research in order to showcase the latest developments in the evolving field of research.