IRIAN JAYA, INDONESIA, and NEW ZEALAND

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Preface This chapter is 1 in a series of 11 that comprise U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386, Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World, which is directed at the use of remotely sensed images, primarily from the Landsat 1, 2, and 3 series of spacecraft, to document, monitor, and study the glacierized regions of our planet. Although Landsat 1, 2, and 3 multispectral scanner (MSS) and Landsat 3 return beam vidicon (RBV) images are especially well suited to studying changes in the Ant arctic ice sheet (Chapter B), the Greenland ice sheet (Chapter C), and ice caps and (or) ice fields in Iceland (Chapter D), Europe (Chapter E), Asia (Chapter F), South America (Chapter I), and North America (Chapter J), the images can also be used, in conjunction with maps, aerial photographs, and field measurements, to study and monitor changes in smaller glaciers on high mountains at lower latitudes, if the glaciers reach a size of a few kilometers (length or diameter). In Irian Jaya, Indonesia, three small perennial ice fields are located on Puncak Jaya massif, Puncak Mandala, and Ngga Pilimsit in the Central Range. The largest ice field, on Puncak Jaya massif, has an area of ap proximately 7 km2 . All three ice fields have experienced rapid retreat during the 20th century, a situation that has been documented at other equatorial glaciers in Africa (Chapter G) and South America (Chapter I). Landsat images were combined with field observations to locate, delineate, and monitor changes in the ice field. In New Zealand, approximately 3,155 glaciers occur along the crest of the Southern Alps, South Island, and 6 glaciers are present on Mount Ruapehu, North Island. The total area covered is about 1,159 km2 , with an estimated volume of 53.3 km3 . In 1859, the first observations were made of New Zealand's glaciers; in 1889, the first precise measurements were carried out, although modern glaciological studies were not begun until the 1950's. Because of limitations in spatial resolution of the sensors, Landsat images were found to be useful only for monitoring changes in the largest glaciers and in the position of the transient snowline. Richard S. Williams, Jr. Jane G. Ferrigno, Editors PREFACE V
About this Volume U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386, Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World, contains eleven chapters designated by the let ters A through K. Chapter A is a general chapter containing introduc tory material and a discussion of the physical characteristics, classifica tion, and global distribution of glaciers. The next nine chapters, B through J, are arranged geographically and present glaciological infor mation from Landsat and other sources of data on each of the geographic areas. Chapter B covers Antarctica; Chapter C, Greenland; Chapter D, Iceland; Chapter E, Continental Europe (except for the European part of the Soviet Union), including the Alps, the Pyrenees, Norway, Sweden, Svalbard (Norway), and Jan Mayen (Norway); Chapter F, Asia, including the European part of the Soviet Union, China (P.R.C.), India, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Pakistan; Chapter G, Turkey, Iran, and Africa; Chapter H, Irian Jaya (Indonesia) and New Zealand; Chapter I, South America; and Chapter J, North America. The final chapter, K, is a topically oriented chapter that presents related glaciological topics. The realization that one element of the Earth's cryosphere, its glaciers, was amenable to global inventorying and monitoring with Landsat images led to the decision, in late 1979, to prepare this Profes sional Paper, in which Landsat 1, 2, and 3 multispectral scanner (MSS) and Landsat 2 and 3 return beam vidicon (RBV) images would be used to inventory the areal occurrence of glacier ice on our planet within the boundaries of the spacecraft's coverage (between about 81° north and south latitudes). Through identification and analysis of optimum Land- sat images of the glacierized areas of the Earth during the first decade of the Landsat era, a global benchmark could be established for determin ing the areal extent of glaciers during a relatively narrow time interval (1972 to 1982). This global "snapshot" of glacier extent could then be used for comparative analysis with previously published maps and aerial photographs and with new maps, satellite images, and aerial pho tographs to determine the areal fluctuation of glaciers in response to natural or culturally induced changes in the Earth's climate. To accomplish this objective, the editors selected optimum Landsat images of each of the glacierized regions of our planet from the Landsat image data base at the EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, although some images were also obtained from the Landsat image ar chives maintained by the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and by the European Space Agency in Kiruna, Sweden, and Fucino, Italy. Between 1979 and 1981, these optimum images were distributed to an international team of more than 50 scien tists who agreed to author a section of the Professional Paper concern ing either a geographic area or a glaciological topic. In addition to analyzing images of a specific geographic area, each author was also asked to summarize up-to-date information about the glaciers within the area and to compare their present areal distribution with historical infor mation (for example, from published maps, reports, photographs, etc.) about their past extent. Completion of this atlas will provide an accurate regional inventory of the areal extent of glaciers on our planet during the 1970's. VI ABOUT THIS VOLUME Richard S. Williams, Jr. Jane G. Ferrigno, Editors
Page 1 and 2: Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers o
Page 3 and 4: GLACIERS OF IRIAN JAVA, INDONESIA,
Page 5: Foreword On 23 July 1972, the first
Page 9 and 10: Glaciers of Irian Jaya, Indonesia,
Page 11 and 12: SATELLITE IMAGE ATLAS OF GLACIERS O
Page 13 and 14: Van de Water, which descend from th
Page 15 and 16: Southwall Hanging Glaciers Carstens
Page 17 and 18: Figure 4. Mosaic of U.S. Army Air F
Page 19 and 20: Figure 6.- Oblique aerial photograp
Page 21 and 22: 130°E 135°E 140°E Figure 7. Inde
Page 23 and 24: Observation and Mapping of the Glac
Page 25 and 26: Figure 9. Oblique aerial photograph
Page 27 and 28: Along the northern edge of the east
Page 29 and 30: Changes in the Puncak Jaya Glaciers
Page 31 and 32: Glaciers of Irian Jaya, Indonesia,
Page 33 and 34: SATELLITE IMAGE ATLAS OF GLACIERS O
Page 35 and 36: 166°E 40 S 42 S 44°S 46 "S 48 S N
Page 37 and 38: 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.6 1 GL
Page 39 and 40: Figure 6. Measured variations in th
Page 41 and 42: ® \ 100 200 300 METERS \ \\ \ I \
Page 43 and 44: maps and plans of the Mount Cook an
Page 45 and 46: Figure 8. Map of New Zealand showin
Page 47 and 48: Figure 9. Oblique aerial photograph
Page 49 and 50: Figure 11.-Landsat 3 RBV image (303
Page 51 and 52: 1988 1980 1970 1960 1950 1940 0- 19
Page 53 and 54: IE168-30 El 69-001 E169-38I El 78-8
Page 55 and 56: position indicates a negative glaci

IRIAN JAYA, INDONESIA, and NEW ZEALAND

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