Swiss scientists using lasers to measure glacial melting

Researchers in Zurich, Switzerland, are doing away with the traditional means of measuring the thickness of glacial ice by employing sophisticated laser technology instead.

The new technique involves a strongly bundled beam of light being shot from an aircraft, bouncing off of the surface of the glacier and then being received by a sensor on the aircraft. The time it takes for the beam to bounce back – so-called ‘run time’ – allows the researchers to create a three-dimensional digital image of the surface of the glacier, which they can then use to compare the state of the ice with results from previous years.

Using the new procedure on the Findel glacier, near Zermatt, Switzerland, the team discovered that the glacier had lost almost an average of around 3.5 metres of ice thickness – around 49 million cubic metres of ice altogether - compared to data collected in 2005. If the same volume of ice were emptied into Lake Zurich, the water level would rise by around half a metre.

The new technique allows scientists to work with interactive digital images that can provide much more detailed, visual evidence for their research.

For further information on the project, contact Michael Zemp of Zurich University at michael.zemp@geo.uzh.ch

Published: Thursday, 3rd December 2009

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