Ice volume and basal topography estimation using geostatistical methods and ground-penetrating radar measurements: application to the Tsanfleuron and Scex Rouge glaciers, Swiss Alps

Abstract. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is widely used for determining mountain glacier thickness. However, this method provides thickness data only along the acquisition lines, and therefore interpolation has to be made between them. Depending on strategy, calculated ice volumes can differ lack an accurate error estimation. Furthermore, glacial basal topography often characterized by complex geomorphological features, which hard reproduce using classical methods, especially when field are sparse or morphological features too complex. This study investigates applicability of multiple-point statistics (MPS) simulations interpolate bedrock GPR measurements. In 2018, a dense set was acquired Tsanfleuron Glacier (Switzerland). These were as source interpolation. The results obtained with direct-sampling MPS compared against those kriging sequential Gaussian (SGSs) both synthetic – known reference volume real underlying Glacier. Using modeled bedrock, Scex Rouge glaciers estimated 113.9 ± 1.6 million cubic meters. approach, unlike SGS kriging, allowed not estimation but also generation realistic simulations. karstic reproduced significantly improve example precision subglacial flow