Glacier Volume Changes using ASTER Optical stereo. A Test Study in Eastern Svalbard

Currently, one of the major methodological gaps in the observation of glaciers from space is the measurement of volume changes of mountain glaciers and small ice caps. Here, we present a case study of comparing a photogrammetric digital elevation model derived from ASTER satellite optical stereo to contour lines from a topographic map from the 1970s. For two small ice caps in Eastern Svalbard, Kvalpyntfonna and Digerfonna, we obtain an overall thickness change of about ‒0.5 m/yr between 1970 and 2002. From comparison of different methods and quality checks we estimate the error of this number to be in the order of 5–10 %.