An algorithm for the detection of calving glaciers frontal position from TerraSAR-X imagery

Determining the frontal position of a calving glacier at different moments of time is a prerequisite for the estimation of the calving rate and flux. Therefore, we developed an automatic detection algorithm of glacier fronts which should be applied to large time series of SAR data and replace the manually mapping. The methodology is based on the analysis of the SAR backscattering amplitude value distribution along defined longitudinal profiles which cover the glacier terminus and traverse the transition zone between the glacier ice and the water at its front. The technique reduces the 2D amplitude image to 1D amplitude profiles and is therefore called profile method.