Erik Schytt Mannerfelt , Thomas Schellenberger, Andreas Kääb

We present a practically simple methodology for tracking glacier surge
onset and evolution using interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar
(InSAR) coherence. Detecting surges early and monitoring their build-up
is interesting for a multitude of scientific and safety-related aspects. We
show that InSAR coherence maps allow the detection of surge-related
instability on Svalbard many years before being detectable by, for
instance, feature tracking or crevasse detection. Furthermore, we present
derived data for two types of surges; downstream- and upstream-
propagating, with interestingly consistent surge propagation and post-
surge relaxation rates. The method works well on Svalbard glaciers, and
the data and core principle suggest a global applicability.