Articles | Volume 17, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1299-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1299-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Brief communication
| 
21 Mar 2023
Brief communication |
| 21 Mar 2023
| 21 Mar 2023
Brief communication: Glacier mapping and change estimation using very high-resolution declassified Hexagon KH-9 panoramic stereo imagery (1971–1984)
Sajid Ghuffar
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
Department of Space Science, Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
Owen King
School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
Grégoire Guillet
School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
LASTIG, Univ Gustave Eiffel, ENSG, IGN, Saint-Mande, France
Ewelina Rupnik
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
Institute of Geodesy, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
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Cited
14 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Historical Long-Term Ultra-Fine-Scale Analysis of Urban Landscape Change with KH-9 PCS Images A. Shahtahmassebi et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2026.2733286
- Brief communication: Mass balance of glaciers in the Eastern Hindu Kush from 1979 to 2002 using KH-9 panoramic and SPOT-5 stereo imagery A. Ramzan & S. Ghuffar https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-5993-2026
- Unlocking the Past: A review of digital processing of historical aerial and satellite stereo analog imagery for geoscience applications L. Piermattei et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/MGRS.2025.3645144
- Glacier surging and surge-related hazards in a changing climate H. Lovell et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-025-00757-9
- Polar perspectives: a deep dive into geo-referencing historical Antarctic photos F. Dahle et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/17538947.2024.2406384
- Five decades of Abramov glacier dynamics reconstructed with multi-sensor optical remote sensing E. Mattea et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-219-2025
- Glacier calving and moraine collapse triggered the glacial lake outburst flood in South Lhonak Lake, Indian Himalaya R. S N et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ae1936
- Variabilities in climate sensitivities and mass balance of four High Mountain Asian glaciers K. Mukherjee et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.105044
- Geometric control of the 1985 Wuqia Earthquake Rupture: insights from optical image correlation J. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggaf308
- Multi-decadal geodetic mass balance, climate sensitivity, and projected glacier response in the Chandra–Bhaga Basin, Western Indian Himalaya (1971–2100) A. Bhattacharya et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181261
- Multi-Sensor Analysis of Predicted and Observed Glacier Instabilities in the Hissar–Alay of Central Asia E. Mattea et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18050699
- Detecting Vietnam War bomb craters in declassified historical KH-9 satellite imagery P. Barthelme et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srs.2024.100143
- Accelerating glacier mass loss in Bhilangana Valley since the 1970s S. Halder et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-026-02668-x
- Low-cost seismic geophysical methods for the detection of karez: A case study on the Erbil Plain (Kurdistan Region of Iraq) J. Brown et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2026.106519
14 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Historical Long-Term Ultra-Fine-Scale Analysis of Urban Landscape Change with KH-9 PCS Images A. Shahtahmassebi et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2026.2733286
- Brief communication: Mass balance of glaciers in the Eastern Hindu Kush from 1979 to 2002 using KH-9 panoramic and SPOT-5 stereo imagery A. Ramzan & S. Ghuffar https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-5993-2026
- Unlocking the Past: A review of digital processing of historical aerial and satellite stereo analog imagery for geoscience applications L. Piermattei et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/MGRS.2025.3645144
- Glacier surging and surge-related hazards in a changing climate H. Lovell et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-025-00757-9
- Polar perspectives: a deep dive into geo-referencing historical Antarctic photos F. Dahle et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/17538947.2024.2406384
- Five decades of Abramov glacier dynamics reconstructed with multi-sensor optical remote sensing E. Mattea et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-219-2025
- Glacier calving and moraine collapse triggered the glacial lake outburst flood in South Lhonak Lake, Indian Himalaya R. S N et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ae1936
- Variabilities in climate sensitivities and mass balance of four High Mountain Asian glaciers K. Mukherjee et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.105044
- Geometric control of the 1985 Wuqia Earthquake Rupture: insights from optical image correlation J. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggaf308
- Multi-decadal geodetic mass balance, climate sensitivity, and projected glacier response in the Chandra–Bhaga Basin, Western Indian Himalaya (1971–2100) A. Bhattacharya et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181261
- Multi-Sensor Analysis of Predicted and Observed Glacier Instabilities in the Hissar–Alay of Central Asia E. Mattea et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18050699
- Detecting Vietnam War bomb craters in declassified historical KH-9 satellite imagery P. Barthelme et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srs.2024.100143
- Accelerating glacier mass loss in Bhilangana Valley since the 1970s S. Halder et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-026-02668-x
- Low-cost seismic geophysical methods for the detection of karez: A case study on the Erbil Plain (Kurdistan Region of Iraq) J. Brown et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2026.106519
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 05 Nov 2026
Short summary
The panoramic cameras (PCs) on board Hexagon KH-9 satellite missions from 1971–1984 captured very high-resolution stereo imagery with up to 60 cm spatial resolution. This study explores the potential of this imagery for glacier mapping and change estimation. The high resolution of KH-9PC leads to higher-quality DEMs which better resolve the accumulation region of glaciers in comparison to the KH-9 mapping camera, and KH-9PC imagery can be useful in several Earth observation applications.
The panoramic cameras (PCs) on board Hexagon KH-9 satellite missions from 1971–1984 captured...
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