Glacier and Ice Aerial Surveys in British Columbia - 2023-2024 - Hakai Airborne Coastal Observatory

The Airborne Coastal Observatory (ACO), developed by the Hakai Institute, is an aerial remote sensing platform designed to map landscapes from icefields to oceans. Using a Piper Navajo aircraft operated by Kisik Aerial Surveys (Delta, BC), the ACO integrates LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), high-resolution imagery, and hyperspectral sensors to collect detailed environmental data in a single pass. These tools are used to monitor changes in regional glaciers and snowpack, supported by field observations and validated through ground-based sampling and sensor networks.

A primary focus of the ACO is to improve understanding of snow and glacier dynamics across BC’s mountainous coast. Long-term monitoring by the Hakai ACO captures variations in snow inputs, which differ dramatically between rain-dominated and snow-dominated zones. Snowpack is a critical factor in watershed modeling, helping to explain variations in runoff and providing insights into how watersheds respond to changing climate conditions. Coastal elevation gradients offer some resilience in high-altitude watersheds, but the region remains particularly vulnerable due to its comparatively mild winters.

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