@article{fdi:010091006,
  title = {{M}apping and characterization of avalanches on mountain glaciers with {S}entinel-1 satellite imagery},
  author = {{K}neib, {M}. and {D}ehecq, {A}maury and {B}run, {F}. and {K}arbou, {F}. and {C}harrier, {L}. and {L}einss, {S}. and {W}agnon, {P}atrick and {M}aussion, {F}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{A}valanches are important contributors to the mass balance of glaciers located in mountain ranges with steep topographies. {A}valanches result in localized over-accumulation that is seldom accounted for in glacier models due to the difficulty of quantifying this contribution, let alone the occurrence of avalanches in these remote regions. {H}ere, we developed an approach to semi-automatically map avalanche deposits over long time periods and at scales of multiple glaciers, utilizing imagery from {S}entinel-1 synthetic aperture radar ({SAR}). {T}his approach performs particularly well for scenes acquired in winter and in the morning but can also be used to identify avalanche events throughout the year. {W}e applied this method to map 16 302 avalanche deposits over a period of 5 years at a 6 to 12 d interval over the {M}t {B}lanc massif ({E}uropean {A}lps), the {E}verest (central {H}imalaya) region, and the {H}ispar ({K}arakoram) region. {T}hese three survey areas are all characterized by steep mountain slopes but also present contrasting climatic characteristics. {O}ur results enable the identification of avalanche hotspots on these glaciers and allow us to quantify the avalanche activity and its spatio-temporal variability across the three regions. {T}he avalanche deposits are preferentially located at lower elevations relative to the hypsometry of the glacierized catchments and are also constrained to a smaller elevation range at the {A}sian sites, where they have a limited influence on their extensive debris-covered tongues. {A}valanche events coincide with solid precipitation events, which explains the high avalanche activity in winter in the {M}t {B}lanc massif and during the monsoon in the {E}verest region. {H}owever, there is also a time lag of 1-2 months, visible especially in the {E}verest region, between the precipitation and avalanche events, indicative of some snow retention on the mountain headwalls. {T}his study therefore provides critical insights into these mass redistribution processes and tools to account for their influence on glacier mass balance.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{C}ryosphere},
  volume = {18},
  numero = {6},
  pages = {2809--2830},
  ISSN = {1994-0416},
  year = {2024},
  DOI = {10.5194/tc-18-2809-2024},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010091006},
}