Swiss Rock Glacier Flow Fields from Aerial Photogrammetry

Swiss rock glaciers at Gruben, Muragl, and Murtel are monitored for their kinematics, which define creeping mountain permafrost. The dataset provides area-wide flow fields derived from high-resolution digital terrain models created using aerial photogrammetry. It is produced by NASA and serves as a tool for detecting climate signals through permafrost behavior.

Use Cases

• Analyzing permafrost flow field kinematics to understand internal structure and development.
• Monitoring rock glacier morphology and dynamics as indicators of climate change.
• Using high-resolution digital terrain models for geomorphological mapping and change detection.
• Studying the thermal and mechanical properties of creeping mountain permafrost.

Strengths

• Data derived from aerial photogrammetry, enabling high-resolution digital terrain models.
• Focus on three specific Swiss rock glacier sites (Gruben, Muragl, Murtel) allows for detailed area-wide analysis.
• Dataset is hosted by NASA, indicating a level of institutional credibility and data management standards.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts exist: last update dates are 2026-03 -12 (Data.gov) and 1994-12-31 (NASA Earthdata), creating uncertainty about data currency.
• No concrete information on dataset size, row count, or specific column names is provided across any source.
• The license is specified as 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov but is 'None' on NASA Earthdata, requiring user verification.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Aerial photogrammetry

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-03-12 22:28:48.416655

Geography

Gruben, Muragl, and Murtel rock glaciers, Switzerland