GLIMS Update: Global ASTER imaging reprioritization

[Luke Copland]

Hi Jeff,

I agree with you that GLIMS acquisitions should be reprioritized to areas
of currently poor coverage, but this shouldn't be at the expense of losing
all coverage in the northern high latitudes (as your suggestion for a
moratorium there seems to suggest). ASTER provides the only low cost, high
resolution satellite imagery source in the high arctic and is therefore
invaluable in monitoring recent changes. Examples include the recent rapid
retreat of the terminus of Jakobshavn Isbrae, and the loss of ice shelves
along northern Ellesmere Island. You also need to remember that 2007-8 is
the International Polar Year, and that if anything we should be trying to
increase monitoring then.

My suggestion would be to reduce northern high latitude acquisitions to a
'background' level, but not to get rid of them altogether. If this is too
general, then perhaps you should put out a call for specific acquisition
requests from the groups that will be working there to get an idea of
where acquisitions should be focused.

Regards,
Luke

--
Dr. Luke Copland
Assistant Professor / Professeur Adjoint
Department of Geography / Département de Géographie
University of Ottawa / Université d'Ottawa
60 University
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada

Tel: +1 613 562 5800 x1056
Fax: +1 613 562 5145