Using Stereo Satellite Imagery to Account for Ablation, Entrainment, and Compaction in Volume Calculations for Rock Avalanches on Glaciers: Application to the 2016 Lamplugh Rock Avalanche in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

A novel method to accurately estimate the volume of rock avalanches on glaciers, accounting for ablation, entrainment, and compaction, was developed and applied to the 2016 Lamplugh rock avalanche in Glacier Bay National Park. The study found that ignoring these processes could underestimate deposit volumes by up to 46.8 million cubic meters (Mm³). Using high-resolution stereo satellite imagery, researchers reconstructed pre- and post-event glacier surfaces, revealing the avalanche initially displaced 51.7 ± 1.5 Mm³ of rock while scouring and entraining 13.2 ± 2.2 Mm³ of snow and ice, resulting in a total deposit volume of 69.9 ± 7.9 Mm³. This approach improves the precision of volume calculations in glacial environments, advancing hazard assessment and understanding of rock avalanche dynamics.

Bessette‐Kirton, E. K., Coe, J. A., & Zhou, W. (2018). Using Stereo Satellite Imagery to Account for Ablation, Entrainment, and Compaction in Volume Calculations for Rock Avalanches on Glaciers: Application to the 2016 Lamplugh Rock Avalanche in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 123(4), 622–641. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jf004512