Project description
Mapping glacial geomorphology over such large areas is challenging in the field, and time consuming and dependent on the availability of high-resolution data to carry out remotely. The recent release of the 1-m resolution Land Information New Zealand Digital terrain Model (DTM) allows glacial landforms to be mapped across most of the Southern Alps in unprecedented detail. This project will apply new Deep Learning (DL) models to automatically map ice-marginal moraines across the Southern Alps, focussing on three regions representing different lithological and tectonic settings, which are from north to south; the Nelson Lakes National Park, the Aoraki National Park, and the Fiordland National Park. Mapping will first be carried out manually from freely available aerial imagery and data to create a training dataset for one region. The training dataset will be used to develop (semi-)automated DL methods for mapping moraines across all three study regions, and the results evaluated to quantify differences in the geometry, position and number of moraines across the mountain range.
Research questions:
- How can accurate mapping of ice-marginal moraines in the Southern Alps be achieved using automated DL methods with high-resolution topographic data?
- To what extent do DL methods detect moraines or moraine characteristics that are not identified using manual mapping techniques?
- How does the style of glaciation recorded by ice-marginal moraines vary with lithological and tectonic setting across the Southern Alps?
Field-, lab- and analysis work
The project will use GIS, a remote server and scripted programming languages (e.g., Python). Familiarity with these methods is useful but not essential, as training and ongoing support will be provided.
Proposed course plan
Høstsemester:
GEOV222 Palaeoclimatology (10 sp)
GEOV230 Glacial geology and geomorphology (10 sp)
GEOV324 Polar palaeoclimate (5 sp)
Vårsemester:
GEOV325A Glaciology (10 sp)
GEOV322 Master Level Field Excursion in Quaternary Geology (5 sp)
GEOV316 Practical Skills in Remote Sensing and Spatial analysis (10 sp)
GEOV225 Quaternary geology and palaeoclimate field course (10 sp)