Image driven assessment of past and future change in Alpine geosystems

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Norbert Pfeifer
• Subject Area: Physical Geography ; Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics, Cartography
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 394200609

While the first SEHAG project phase offered insights into the past, collecting and transforming historic data to draw conclusions on the former state of the geosystem, the second phase is dedicated to the future. Besides inferring information from photos and other sensors, LiDAR, GPR, SONAR. etc., research will focus on the collaborative exploration and visualization of predicted changes in 2D- and 3D-models of our environment. In order to broaden the basis of available datasets, the collection, georeferencing, and 3D restitution of newly acquired and historic geodata will be continued. For historical terrestrial images, research on improved methods for the automatic orientation will increase automation, reliability, and accuracy. Besides airborne laser scanning (ALS), geo-data from additional sensors will be used to derive surface models in specific areas: (i) ground penetrating radar (GPR) to derive subglacial topography (ii) echo sounding for seafloor bathymetry. Incorporation of these models into the stable reference frame established by ALS and increasing the quality and accuracy of the derived models requires integrated processing and workflows, extending standard techniques of LiDAR data processing. With the focus on the prediction of changes of our environment, the role of images is reversed: Instead of solely extracting information from images, information generated from models will be visualized. The generated visualizations are not merely a means of dissemination, but more importantly trigger scientific discussion on the interaction of processes. Focus will be laid on the evaluation and development of methods for the combined visualization of the predicted changes from various geoscience disciplines (glaciology, geomorphology including the cryospheric component, hydrology, and vegetation science). Furthermore, 3D georeferenced historical images will be used, to visually represent the connection between the past and future by projecting predicted features into the images. The Corona19-pandemic had drastic impacts on the way we communicated and interacted. In the new collaboration forms induced by restrictions, we see a chance for sustainably transforming (parts of) our work. Therefore, new possibilities to collaboratively analyze, interact and interpret data, used within the SEHAG project, will be investigated. Special attention will be laid on the question how to remotely interact with each other and the data. This will be investigated by means of so called “virtual field meetings” where the basic elements of real world field meetings will be made available virtually. With the developed tool researchers from various research areas will be able to collaboratively analyze and interpret environmental past, current and future data and states remotely. While the need for such possibilities became apparent through the Corona-19 pandemic, they will be relevant in the future as well, supplementing and extending current fieldwork.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 2793: Sensitivity of High Alpine Geosystems to Climate Change Since 1850 (SEHAG)
• International Connection: Austria
• Partner Organisation: Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF)