Articles | Volume 17, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-17-1823-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-17-1823-2017
Research article
 | 
23 Oct 2017
Research article |  | 23 Oct 2017

Regional snow-avalanche detection using object-based image analysis of near-infrared aerial imagery

Karolina Korzeniowska, Yves Bühler, Mauro Marty, and Oliver Korup

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Cited articles

Badoux, A., Andres, N., Techel, F., and Hegg, C.: Natural hazard fatalities in Switzerland from 1946 to 2015, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 2747–2768, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-16-2747-2016, 2016.
Bagli, S. and Schweizer, J.: Characteristics of wet-snow avalanche activity: 20 years of observations from a high alpine valley (Dischma, Switzerland), Nat. Hazards, 50, 97–108, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-008-9322-7, 2009.
Bründl, M., Etter, H.-J., Steiniger, M., Klingler, Ch., Rhyner, J., and Ammann, W. J.: IFKIS – a basis for managing avalanche risk in settlements and on roads in Switzerland, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 4, 257–262, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-4-257-2004, 2004.
Bühler, Y., Hüni, A., Christen, M., Meister, R., and Kellerberger, T.: Automated detection and mapping of avalanche deposits using airborne optical remote sensing data, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 57, 99–106, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2009.02.007, 2009.
Bühler, Y., Meier, L., and Ginzler, C.: Potential of operational high spatial resolution near-infrared remote sensing instruments for snow surface type mapping, IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett., 12, 821–825, https://doi.org/10.1109/LGRS.2014.2363237, 2015.
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Short summary
In this study, we have focused on automatically detecting avalanches and classifying them into release zones, tracks, and run-out zones based on aerial imagery using an object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach. We compared the results with manually mapped avalanche polygons, and obtained a user’s accuracy of > 0.9 and a Cohen’s kappa of 0.79–0.85. Testing the method for a larger area of 226.3 km2, we estimated producer’s and user’s accuracies of 0.61 and 0.78, respectively.
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