Belvedere Glacier 1951 and 2023 datasets

Introduction 

This dataset includes 1951 and 2023 orthophotos of the Belvedere Glacier, derived from 3D photogrammetric reconstructions. The 1951 images, sourced from IGM, were scanned at 10 µm/px and provide acceptable, though limited, spatial resolution. The 2023 images, taken by the GLAM team using UAVs, offer higher detail at 3 cm resolution. Despite differences in resolution, the historical and recent data allow for identifying key geomorphological features and enable comparative analysis of glacier changes over time.

Belvedere Glacier

The Belvedere Glacier lies on the eastern side of Monte Rosa (4634 m) in the Western Italian Alps, near the Italy-Switzerland border. Covering 4.51 km², it is one of the Alps' largest debris-covered glaciers. Its tongue, extending from 2250 m to 1800 m a.s.l., is 3 km long and 0.5 km wide, dividing into two lobes. The glacier experienced a surge event in 2001-2002.

Data Usage

The dataset can analyze glacier surface area changes, geomorphological processes, and dynamics. Please contact us with questions about the data or its acquisition.

Contributions

The monitoring activity carried out on the Belvedere Glacier was designed and conducted jointly by the Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Cartography and the Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology of Charles University (Czech Republic), the Department of Geography of Heidelberg University (Germany), and Earth Science Department of University La Statale of Milan (Italy). The work was funded by the 4EU+ project (https://4euplus.eu) Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere Dynamics under the Influence of Climate Change, grant number 4EU+/23/F4/19 (2023-2024).

Research team: Glacier Landscape Analysis and Geohazards Monitoring with Earth Observation (GLAM) https://glam.natur.cuni.cz/publications

If you use the data, please, cite these in our publication: 

Brodský, L., Pancholi, S., Schmidt, S., Nüsser, M., Azzoni, R., Tronti, G. (2024): Belvedere Glacier elevation change between 1951 and 2023. AUC Geographica, 59, 2.