Potentiel des satellites Pléiades Neo pour restituer la topographie fine des glaciers

Abstract

The 30 cm resolution offered by the Pléiades Neo satellites represents a twofold gain over their predecessors, the Pléiades HR. Combined with stereoscopic capabilities, this makes it possible to build metric digital terrain models (DTMs) for fine characterization of landforms, particularly for small glaciers such as those in the Pyrenees. In this study, we assess the accuracy of DTMs deduced from Pléiades Neo images on the Aneto, Ossoue and Monte Perdido glaciers, comparing them with DTMs acquired by short range remote sensing products and national Lidar data. We show that DTMs deduced with the More Global Matching (MGM) algorithm are more accurate than others. We also highlight the ability of PNeo DTMs to render fine details of glacial morphology, such as the "moulins" on Ossoue glacier, much more difficult to characterize with Pléiades HR.