**5. Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS)**

In an effort to analyze the glacial change throughout the world, a global-level consortium, the Global Land Ice Measurements (GLIMS), has established a database at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado (Raup et al., 2007). Under GLIMS, 12 regional centers are working to acquire satellite images, analyze them for glacial extent and changes, and assess change data for causes and implications for people and the environment.

GLIMS is an international consortium established to monitor the world's glaciers. Although GLIMS is making use of multiple remote-sensing systems, ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) satellite images are the major data input in GLIMS database. The GLIMS team has put together a network of international collaborators who analyze imagery of glaciers in their regions of expertise. Collaborators provide digital glacier outlines and metadata. Data also include snow lines, center flow lines, hypsometry data, surface velocity fields, and literature references. The National Snow and Ice Data Center archives the data provided by the regional centers.

The GLIMS team also developed tools to aid in glacier mapping, such as GLIMSView, which is an open-source, cross-platform application designed to support and standardize the glacier digitization process. It allows regional centers to transfer data to the National Snow and Ice Data Center for incorporation into the GLIMS glacier database. Users can view various types of satellite imagery, digitize glacier outlines and other material units within the images, attach GLIMS-specific attributes to segments of these outlines, and save the outlines to ESRI shapefiles. GLIMSView is free and available at http://www.glims.org/glimsview/.

### **6. Conclusions**

Satellite remote sensing of the cryosphere has progressed over the last five decades. It has helped us to understand the global distribution of the cryosphere, variation and trends in snow cover, sea ice, and glaciers. We have a pretty decent map of the cryosphere. Remote sensing has helped in rapid assessment of glaciers in hostile ground conditions in areas such as Antarctica, the Artic and alpine glaciers.

There are several challenges in remote sensing of the cryosphere. Acquiring cloud-free satellite imagery is still challenging. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery has received a great deal of attention in recent years as it can provide cloud-free data. SAR interferometry has been used successfully in areas such as glacier motion and topographical mapping. The

(forward view + backward view) and 0.5 (sidelong view + nadir view). ALOS images have been used to produce highly accurate DEMS. The DEMs created for the northern slope of Qomolangma in the Mt. Everest region had a mean elevation difference of 1.7m with a DEM created using topographic maps in non-glaciated areas. The mean difference between Aster

Once the outlines of the glaciers are delineated, they can be combined with DEM to derive glacier parameters such as length, termini elevations, and volume. DEMs derived from

In an effort to analyze the glacial change throughout the world, a global-level consortium, the Global Land Ice Measurements (GLIMS), has established a database at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado (Raup et al., 2007). Under GLIMS, 12 regional centers are working to acquire satellite images, analyze them for glacial extent and changes, and assess change data for causes and implications for people and the

GLIMS is an international consortium established to monitor the world's glaciers. Although GLIMS is making use of multiple remote-sensing systems, ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) satellite images are the major data input in GLIMS database. The GLIMS team has put together a network of international collaborators who analyze imagery of glaciers in their regions of expertise. Collaborators provide digital glacier outlines and metadata. Data also include snow lines, center flow lines, hypsometry data, surface velocity fields, and literature references. The National Snow and Ice Data

The GLIMS team also developed tools to aid in glacier mapping, such as GLIMSView, which is an open-source, cross-platform application designed to support and standardize the glacier digitization process. It allows regional centers to transfer data to the National Snow and Ice Data Center for incorporation into the GLIMS glacier database. Users can view various types of satellite imagery, digitize glacier outlines and other material units within the images, attach GLIMS-specific attributes to segments of these outlines, and save the outlines to ESRI shapefiles. GLIMSView is free and available at

Satellite remote sensing of the cryosphere has progressed over the last five decades. It has helped us to understand the global distribution of the cryosphere, variation and trends in snow cover, sea ice, and glaciers. We have a pretty decent map of the cryosphere. Remote sensing has helped in rapid assessment of glaciers in hostile ground conditions in areas such

There are several challenges in remote sensing of the cryosphere. Acquiring cloud-free satellite imagery is still challenging. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery has received a great deal of attention in recent years as it can provide cloud-free data. SAR interferometry has been used successfully in areas such as glacier motion and topographical mapping. The

SPOT5, ASTER, CORONA or ALOS PRISM can be used in mass balance studies.

and ALOS images was found to be about 45m (Ye, 2010).

environment.

**5. Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS)** 

Center archives the data provided by the regional centers.

http://www.glims.org/glimsview/.

as Antarctica, the Artic and alpine glaciers.

**6. Conclusions** 

use of radar has been gaining more attention recently. Ground penetrating radars are being used to study the internal structure and bedrock configuration of glaciers.

For most part, *in situ* measurement of the cryosphere is often not a viable option, so the focus of cryosphere study remains on the use of remote sensing techniques. The World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) coordinates the global glacier observation strategy with the help of the Global Land Ice Measurement from Space project and the European Space Agency's Global Glacier Project.

Spaceborne remote sensing techniques in the last five decades have shown tremendous advancement. From Landsat to InSAR imagery, the remote sensing technology has helped in understanding and mapping the cryosphere. Many of these data are available free or for low cost; some of them are very expensive, and using them requires specialized skill. With the increase in computer processing power, the potential for the collection, storage, transmission and processing of remotely sensed data on the cryosphere has improved.

Changes in glaciers provide evidence of climate change, and therefore glaciers play a key role in early detection of global climate-related observations (WGMS, 2011). Glacier change will impact global sea level fluctuations and other natural hazards. These environmental changes require international glacier monitoring efforts to make use of remote sensing and geo-informatics along with the more traditional field observations.

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07


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**17** 

*P.R. China* 

**Remote Sensing Application in** 

Jing Peng and Chaojian Shi *Shanghai Maritime University* 

**the Maritime Search and Rescue** 

Maritime search and rescue (MSR- In the maritime publications, the abbreviation for search and rescue is also SAR. Here we use MSR to distinguish it from the abbreviation for Synthetic Aperture Radar.) became an enormous task with the vast growth of marine transportation and other marine activities. In the year of 2006, the MSR centers and maritime authorities in China organized and coordinated 1620 MSR operations, which involved 5322 vessels and 17498 human lives. The past few years have witnessed tremendous changes in the organizations of maritime rescue. A large part of this evolution stems from the involvement on an international scope and the contribution of the advanced technology. However, current maritime search operation, especially searching people over board,

SOLAS (International convention for safety of life at sea) convention prescribes that ships must be equipped with GMDSS (Global maritime distress and safety system) equipments, which have improved the search and rescue. However, for many non SOLAS convention ships, such as fishing boats and small crafts, the detection results are not very much satisfied. With the complex sea environment, the searching of distress vessel becomes a nail-biting task. Because of the physiological characteristics of human eyes, it is difficult for the rescuer to find small target in the adverse background lighting, night or dark condition, wave or clustered seas. Continuous long time observation also causes fatigue of human eyes, resulting poor sensitivity

In order to improve the effect of MSR operations during the dark hours or in adverse lighting or sea conditions, remote sensing technique is a potential approach to overcome the limitation of human eyes in MSR, and thereby may hopefully improve the searching performance in complex environment or in a fatigued state of human being. Regarding ship monitoring, compared with shore-base, shipboard or airborne detecting devices, and other visible visible or infrared monitoring methods, the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing system possesses the capability of all-time, all weather, extensive and high resolution for detecting ships on the sea. Especially due to its working characteristics of not being limited by the sea surface, weather or human factors, it can detect the sea areas with geographical remote positions and hostile environment which cannot be entered directly. In this chapter, some remote sensing techniques and algorithms concerned with the MSR are introduced. A Remote Sensing Monitoring System for Maritime Search and Rescue (RS-MSR)

of detection. All those factors decay the results of searching operation.

**1. Introduction** 

depends mostly on human eyes.

