Quantifying snow water equivalent using terrestrial ground penetrating radar and unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry

This study demonstrates the potential value of a combined unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Photogrammetry and ground penetrating radar (GPR) approach to map snow water equivalent (SWE) over large scales. SWE estimation requires two different physical parameters (snow depth and density), which are currently difficult to measure with the spatial and temporal resolution desired for basin-wide studies. UAV photogrammetry can provide very high-resolution spatially continuous snow depths (SD) at the basin scale, but does not measure snow densities. GPR allows nondestructive quantitative snow investigation if the radar velocity is known. Using photogrammetric snow depths and GPR two-way travel times (TWT) of reflections at the snow-ground interface, radar velocities in snowpack can be determined. Snow density (RSN) is then estimated from the radar propagation velocity (which is related to electrical permittivity of snow) via empirical formulas. A Phantom-4 Pro UAV and a MALA GX450 HDR model GPR mounted on a ski mobile were used to determine snow parameters. A snow-free digital surface model (DSM) was obtained from the photogrammetric survey conducted in September 2017. Then, another survey in synchronization with a GPR survey was conducted in February 2019 whilst the snowpack was approximately at its maximum thickness. Spatially continuous snow depths were calculated by subtracting the snow-free DSM from the snow-covered DSM. Radar velocities in the snowpack along GPR survey lines were computed by using UAV-based snow depths and GPR reflections to obtain snow densities and SWEs. The root mean square error of the obtained SWEs (384 mm average) is 63 mm, indicating good agreement with independent SWE observations and the error lies within acceptable uncertainty limits.     

Application of Structure‐from‐Motion photogrammetry to river restoration

Structure‐from‐Motion (SfM) photogrammetry is now used widely to study a range of earth surface processes and landforms, and is fast becoming a core tool in fluvial geomorphology. SfM photogrammetry allows extraction of topographic information and orthophotos from aerial imagery. However, one field where it is not yet widely used is that of river restoration. The characterisation of physical habitat conditions pre‐ and post‐restoration is critical for assessing project success, and SfM can be used easily and effectively for this purpose. In this paper we outline a workflow model for the application of SfM photogrammetry to collect topographic data, develop surface models and assess geomorphic change resulting from river restoration actions. We illustrate the application of the model to a river restoration project in the NW of England, to show how SfM techniques have been used to assess whether the project is achieving its geomorphic objectives. We outline the details of each stage of the workflow, which extend from preliminary decision‐making related to the establishment of a ground control network, through fish‐eye lens camera testing and calibration, to final image analysis for the creation of facies maps, the extraction of point clouds, and the development of digital elevation models (DEMs) and channel roughness maps. The workflow enabled us to confidently identify geomorphic changes occurring in the river channel over time, as well as assess spatial variation in erosion and aggradation. Critical to the assessment of change was the high number of ground control points and the application of a minimum level of detection threshold used to assess uncertainties in the topographic models. We suggest that these two things are especially important for river restoration applications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigating the geomorphological potential of freely available and accessible structure‐from‐motion photogrammetry using a smartphone

We test the acquisition of high‐resolution topographic and terrain data using hand‐held smartphone technology, where the acquired images can be processed using technology freely available to the research community. This is achieved by evaluating the quality of digital terrain models (DTM) of a river bank and an Alpine alluvial fan generated with a fully automated, free‐to‐use, structure‐from‐motion package and a smartphone integrated camera (5 megapixels) with terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data used to provide a benchmark. To evaluate this approach a 16.2‐megapixel digital camera and an established, commercial, close‐range and semi‐automated software are also employed, and the product of the four combinations of the two types of cameras and software are compared. Results for the river bank survey demonstrate that centimetre‐precision DTMs can be achieved at close range (10 m or less), using a smartphone camera and a fully automated package. Results improve to sub‐centimetre precision with either higher‐resolution images or by applying specific post‐processing techniques to the smartphone DTMs. Application to an entire Alpine alluvial fan system shows the degradation of precision scales linearly with image scale, but that (i) the expected level of precision remains and (ii) difficulties in separating vegetation and sediment cover within the results are similar to those typically found when using other photo‐based techniques and laser scanning systems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cost‐effective non‐metric photogrammetry from consumer‐grade sUAS: implications for direct georeferencing of structure from motion photogrammetry

The declining costs of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), in combination with Structure‐from‐Motion (SfM) photogrammetry have triggered renewed interest in image‐based topography reconstruction. However, the potential uptake of sUAS‐based topography is limited by the need for ground control acquired with expensive survey equipment. Direct georeferencing (DG) is a workflow that obviates ground control and uses only the camera positions to georeference the SfM results. However, the absence of ground control poses significant challenges in terms of the data quality of the final geospatial outputs. Notably, it is generally accepted that ground control is required to georeference, refine the camera calibration parameters, and remove any artefacts of optical distortion from the topographic model. Here, we present an examination of DG carried out with low‐cost consumer‐grade sUAS. We begin with a study of surface deformations resulting from systematic perturbations of the radial lens distortion parameters. We then test a number of flight patterns and develop a novel error quantification method to assess the outcomes. Our perturbation analysis shows that there exists families of predictable equifinal solutions of K₁‐K₂ which minimize doming in the output model. The equifinal solutions can be expressed as K₂ = f (K₁) and they have been observed for both the DJI Inspire 1 and Phantom 3 sUAS platforms. This equifinality relationship can be used as an external reliability check of the self‐calibration and allow a DG workflow to produce topography exempt of non‐affine deformations and with random errors of 0.1% of the flying height, linear offsets below 10 m and off‐vertical tilts below 1°. Whilst not yet of survey‐grade quality, these results demonstrate that low‐cost sUAS are capable of producing reliable topography products without recourse to expensive survey equipment and we argue that direct georeferencing and low‐cost sUAS could transform survey practices in both academic and commercial disciplines. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An automatic approach for rill network extraction to measure rill erosion by terrestrial and low‐cost unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry

For an erosion event (October 2016) occurred at the Sparacia experimental area (Southern Italy), both terrestrial and low‐altitude aerial surveys were carried out by consumer grade camera and quadcopter (low‐cost unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV]) to measure rill erosion on two plots with steepness of 22% and 26%. Applying the structure from motion (SfM) technique, the three‐dimensional digital terrain models (3D‐DTMs) and the quasi three‐dimensional models (2.5D‐digital elevation model [DEM]) were obtained by the two surveys. Furthermore, 3D‐DTM and DEM were built using the available aerial photographs (166) and adding 40 terrestrial photographs. For the first time, the convergence index was applied to high‐resolution rill data for extracting the rill network, and a subsequent separation into contributing and non‐contributing rills was carried out. The comparison among the three surveys (terrestrial, UAV, and UAV + terrestrial) was developed using two morphometric parameters of the rill network (drainage density and drainage frequency). Moreover, using as reference the weight of sediment stored on the tanks located downstream of the plots, the reliability of soil loss measurement by 3D models was tested. For both contributing and non‐contributing rills, the morphometric parameters were higher for the terrestrial than for UAV and UAV + terrestrial surveys. For both plots, SfM always provided reliable soil loss measurements, which were affected by errors ranging from ?8% to 13%. Although the applied technique used a low‐cost UAV and a consumer grade camera, the obtained results demonstrated that a reliable estimate of rill erosion can be obtained in an area of interest.     

Topographic structure from motion: a new development in photogrammetric measurement

The production of topographic datasets is of increasing interest and application throughout the geomorphic sciences, and river science is no exception. Consequently, a wide range of topographic measurement methods have evolved. Despite the range of available methods, the production of high resolution, high quality digital elevation models (DEMs) requires a significant investment in personnel time, hardware and/or software. However, image‐based methods such as digital photogrammetry have been decreasing in costs. Developed for the purpose of rapid, inexpensive and easy three‐dimensional surveys of buildings or small objects, the ‘structure from motion’ photogrammetric approach (SfM) is an image‐based method which could deliver a methodological leap if transferred to geomorphic applications, requires little training and is extremely inexpensive. Using an online SfM program, we created high‐resolution digital elevation models of a river environment from ordinary photographs produced from a workflow that takes advantage of free and open source software. This process reconstructs real world scenes from SfM algorithms based on the derived positions of the photographs in three‐dimensional space. The basic product of the SfM process is a point cloud of identifiable features present in the input photographs. This point cloud can be georeferenced from a small number of ground control points collected in the field or from measurements of camera positions at the time of image acquisition. The georeferenced point cloud can then be used to create a variety of digital elevation products. We examine the applicability of SfM in the Pedernales River in Texas (USA), where several hundred images taken from a hand‐held helikite are used to produce DEMs of the fluvial topographic environment. This test shows that SfM and low‐altitude platforms can produce point clouds with point densities comparable with airborne LiDAR, with horizontal and vertical precision in the centimeter range, and with very low capital and labor costs and low expertise levels. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Drone photogrammetry and KMeans point cloud filtering to create high resolution topographic and inundation models of coastal sediment archives

Coastal areas are vulnerable to the impacts of tropical cyclones (TC), tsunamis and other water super‐elevation events, but the frequency of these events is often poorly represented by conventional records. Coastal overwash deposits (including washover fans) can provide a longer‐term archive of event frequency. Because of their low‐gradient geomorphic form, washover fans require high accuracy (centimetre‐resolution) topographic models to understand patterns of connectivity and dynamics that control archive formation. Using images collected by a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS, or ‘drone’) and Structure‐from‐Motion (SfM) photogrammetry techniques, we apply a novel point‐cloud filtering technique based on KMeans classification of the R‐G‐B colour of each X‐Y‐Z point to remove vegetation and create a centimetre‐resolution and accuracy bare‐earth digital terrain model (DTM) of a washover fan in Exmouth Gulf (Western Australia). Using the RPAS‐SfM orphophoto and DEM data, supported by ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) and field stratigraphic analysis, we show how this approach can be applied to understand dynamics controlling low‐gradient geomorphic landforms, using an example of a washover fan sedimentary archive in northwestern Australia created by extreme overwash events. Our approach reveals the likely role of backflooding and terrestrial runoff in creating backwater environment for sub‐aqueous deposition and good sediment preservation and identifies key areas to target for detailed dating and stratigraphic analysis of a potentially decadal to sub‐millennial resolution sediment archive of TC activity. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating young fluvial terrace riser degradation using a nonlinear transport model: Application to the Kongur Normal Fault in the Pamir,northwest China

Selecting an appropriate hillslope transport model and calibrating model parameters are essential for morphological dating of fault and fluvial scarps. In this paper, we refine the method of profile-based morphologic dating by updating the representation of nonlinearity in sediment flux dependence on the hillslope gradient. We apply this revised method to fluvial scarps bounding fluvial terraces offset along the Kongur Normal Fault in the semi-arid high-altitude Pamir mountains, northwestern China. One of these terraces, the T3 surface, is dated to 7.0^+1.9/_−1.6 kyr using ¹⁰Be cosmogenic depth profile analysis. Well-preserved, dated terraces make this an ideal site to test the utility of morphological modelling in constraining ages of the young terrace risers. To do this, 35 topographic swath profiles across the terrace risers are extracted from a 0.2 m-resolution digital elevation model produced using structure from motion from photos collected by an unmanned aerial vehicle. The best estimates of morphological age are 13.9 ± 1.3 m² for the riser T3/T4 and 11.9 ± 1.3 m² for T2/T3 using a linear diffusion approach. These two morphological ages overlap within uncertainty and fail to distinguish between two young terrace risers. Alternatively, we employed a nonlinear diffusion model, calibrated with transport constant k = 1 m² kyr⁻¹, nonlinearity n = 2, and critical gradient S_c = tan(33°). This nonlinear model produces ages of 7.3 ± 0.5 kyr for T3/T4 and 4.0 ± 0.2 kyr for T2/T3; these ages are consistent with terrace surface ages deduced by using vertical offset divided by independently determining average throw rate. This comparison shows the advantage of a nonlinear model in defining ages of young scarps. Furthermore, we explored the minor effect of heterogeneous degradation along steep sections of the scarp profiles. The nonlinear scarp modelling scheme we develop in this paper is suitable for studying scarp degradation in other regions. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using structure‐from‐motion to create glacier DEMs and orthoimagery from historical terrestrial and oblique aerial imagery

Increased resolution and availability of remote sensing products, and advancements in small‐scale aerial drone systems, allows observations of glacial changes at unprecedented levels of detail. Software developments, such as structure‐from‐motion (SfM), now allow users an easy and efficient method to generate three‐dimensional (3D) models and orthoimages from aerial or terrestrial datasets. While these advancements show promise for current and future glacier monitoring, many regions still suffer a lack of observations from earlier time periods. We report on the use of SfM to extract spatial information from various historic imagery sources. We focus on three geographic regions, the European Alps, high Arctic Norway and the Nepal Himalayas. We used terrestrial field photographs from 1896, high oblique aerial photographs from 1936 and aerial handheld photographs from 1978 to generate digital elevation models (DEMs) and orthophotos of the Rhone glacier, Brøggerhalvøya and the lower Khumbu glacier, respectively. Our analysis shows that applying SfM to historic imagery can generate high quality models using only ground control points. Limited camera/orientation information was largely reproduced using self‐calibrated model data. Using these data, we calculated mean ground sampling distances across each site which demonstrates the high potential resolution of resulting models. Vertical errors for our models are ±5.4 m, ±5.2 m and ±3.3 m. Differencing shows similar patterns of thinning at lower Rhone (European Alps) and Brøggerhalvøya (Norway) glaciers, which have mean thinning rates of 0.31 m a^?1 (1896–2010) to 0.86 m a^?1 (1936–2010) respectively. On these clean ice glaciers thinning is highest in the terminus region and decreasing up‐glacier. In contrast to these glaciers, uneven topography, exposed ice‐cliffs and debris cover on the Khumbu glacier create a highly variable spatial distribution of thinning. The mean thinning rate for the Khumbu study area was found to be 0.54 ± 0.9 m a^?1 (1978–2015). Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Subaerial gravel size measurement using topographic data derived from a UAV‐SfM approach

Accurate and reliable methods for quantifying grain size are important for river science, management and in various other sedimentological settings. Remote sensing offers methods of quantifying grain size, typically providing; (a) coarse outputs (c. 1 m) at the catchment scale where individual grains are at subpixel level, or; (b) fine resolution outputs (c. 1 mm) at the patch scale. Recently, approaches using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have started to fill the gap between these scales, providing hyperspatial resolution data (< 10 cm) over reaches a few hundred metres in length, where individual grains are at suprapixel level. This ‘mesoscale’ is critical to habitat assessments. Most existing UAV‐based approaches use two‐dimensional (2D) textural variables to predict grain size. Validation of results is largely absent however, despite significant differences in platform stability and image quality obtained by manned aircraft versus UAVs. Here, we provide the first quantitative assessment of the accuracy and precision of grain size estimates produced from a 2D image texture approach. Furthermore, we present a new method which predicts subaerial gravel size using three‐dimensional (3D) topographic data derived from UAV imagery. Data is collected from a small gravel‐bed river in Cumbria, UK. Results indicate that our new topographic method gives more accurate measures of grain size (mean residual error ‐0.0001 m). Better results for the image texture method may be precluded by our choice of texture measure, the scale of analysis or the effects of image blur resulting from an inadequate camera gimbal. We suggest that at our scale of assessment, grain size is more strongly related to 3D variation in elevation than to the 2D textural patterns expressed within the imagery. With on‐going improvements, our novel method has potential as the first grain size quantification approach where a trade‐off between coverage and resolution is not necessary or inherent. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bank erosion in agricultural drainage networks: new challenges from structure‐from‐motion photogrammetry for post‐event analysis

Drainage channels are an integral part of agricultural landscapes, and their impact on catchment hydrology is strongly recognized. In cultivated and urbanized floodplains, channels have always played a key role in flood protection, land reclamation, and irrigation. Bank erosion is a critical issue in channels. Neglecting this process, especially during flood events, can result in underestimation of the risk in flood‐prone areas. The main aim of this work is to consider a low‐cost methodology for the analysis of bank erosion in agricultural drainage networks, and in particular for the estimation of the volumes of eroded and deposited material. A case study located in the Veneto floodplain was selected. The research is based on high‐resolution topographic data obtained by an emerging low‐cost photogrammetric method (structure‐from‐motion or SfM), and results are compared to terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data. For the SfM analysis, extensive photosets were obtained using two standalone reflex digital cameras and an iPhone5® built‐in camera. Three digital elevation models (DEMs) were extracted at the resolution of 0.1 m using SfM and were compared with the ones derived by TLS. Using the different DEMs, the eroded areas were then identified using a feature extraction technique based on the topographic parameter Roughness Index (RI). DEMs derived from SfM were effective for both detecting erosion areas and estimating quantitatively the deposition and erosion volumes. Our results underlined how smartphones with high‐resolution built‐in cameras can be competitive instruments for obtaining suitable data for topography analysis and Earth surface monitoring. This methodology could be potentially very useful for farmers and/or technicians for post‐event field surveys to support flood risk management. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using UAV acquired photography and structure from motion techniques for studying glacier landforms: application to the glacial flutes at Isfallsglaciären

Glacier and ice sheet retreat exposes freshly deglaciated terrain which often contains small‐scale fragile geomorphological features which could provide insight into subglacial or submarginal processes. Subaerial exposure results in potentially rapid landscape modification or even disappearance of the minor‐relief landforms as wind, weather, water and vegetation impact on the newly exposed surface. Ongoing retreat of many ice masses means there is a growing opportunity to obtain high resolution geospatial data from glacier forelands to aid in the understanding of recent subglacial and submarginal processes. Here we used an unmanned aerial vehicle to capture close‐range aerial photography of the foreland of Isfallsglaciären, a small polythermal glacier situated in Swedish Lapland. An orthophoto and a digital elevation model with ~2 cm horizontal resolution were created from this photography using structure from motion software. These geospatial data was used to create a geomorphological map of the foreland, documenting moraines, fans, channels and flutes. The unprecedented resolution of the data enabled us to derive morphological metrics (length, width and relief) of the smallest flutes, which is not possible with other data products normally used for glacial landform metrics mapping. The map and flute metrics compare well with previous studies, highlighting the potential of this technique for rapidly documenting glacier foreland geomorphology at an unprecedented scale and resolution. The vast majority of flutes were found to have an associated stoss‐side boulder, with the remainder having a likely explanation for boulder absence (burial or erosion). Furthermore, the size of this boulder was found to strongly correlate with the width and relief of the lee‐side flute. This is consistent with the lee‐side cavity infill model of flute formation. Whether this model is applicable to all flutes, or multiple mechanisms are required, awaits further study. © 2016 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Use of terrestrial photogrammetry based on structure‐from‐motion for mass balance estimation of a small glacier in the Italian alps

Different high‐resolution techniques can be employed to obtain information about the three‐dimensional (3D) surface of glaciers. This is typically carried out using efficient, but also expensive and logistically demanding, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technologies, such as airborne scanners and terrestrial laser scanners. Recent technological improvements in the field of image analysis and computer vision have prompted the development of a low‐cost photogrammetric approach, which is referred to as ‘structure‐from‐motion’ (SfM). Combined with dense image‐matching algorithms, this method has become competitive for the production of high‐quality 3D models. However, several issues typical of this approach should be considered for application in glacial environments. In particular, the surface morphology, the different substrata, the occurrence of sharp contrast from solar shadows and the variable distance from the camera positions can negatively affect the image texture, and reduce the possibility of obtaining a reliable point cloud from the images. The objective of this study is to test the structure‐from‐motion multi view stereo (SfM‐MVS) approach in a small debris‐covered glacier located in the eastern Italian Alps, using a consumer‐grade reflex camera and the computer vision‐based software PhotoScan. The quality of the 3D models produced by the SfM‐MVS process was assessed via the comparison with digital terrain models obtained from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) surveys that were performed at the same epochs. The effect of different terrain gradients and different substrata (debris, snow and firn) was also evaluated in terms of the accuracy of the reconstruction by SfM‐MVS versus TLS. Our results show that the quality of this new photogrammetric approach is similar to the quality of TLS and that point cloud densities are comparable or even higher compared with TLS. However, special care should be taken while planning the SfM survey geometry, to optimize the 3D model quality and spatial coverage. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

3‐D uncertainty‐based topographic change detection with structure‐from‐motion photogrammetry: precision maps for ground control and directly georeferenced surveys

Structure‐from‐motion (SfM) photogrammetry is revolutionising the collection of detailed topographic data, but insight into geomorphological processes is currently restricted by our limited understanding of SfM survey uncertainties. Here, we present an approach that, for the first time, specifically accounts for the spatially variable precision inherent to photo‐based surveys, and enables confidence‐bounded quantification of 3D topographic change. The method uses novel 3D precision maps that describe the 3D photogrammetric and georeferencing uncertainty, and determines change through an adapted state‐of‐the‐art fully 3D point‐cloud comparison (M3C2), which is particularly valuable for complex topography. We introduce this method by: (1) using simulated UAV surveys, processed in photogrammetric software, to illustrate the spatial variability of precision and the relative influences of photogrammetric (e.g. image network geometry, tie point quality) and georeferencing (e.g. control measurement) considerations; (2) we then present a new Monte Carlo procedure for deriving this information using standard SfM software and integrate it into confidence‐bounded change detection; before (3) demonstrating geomorphological application in which we use benchmark TLS data for validation and then estimate sediment budgets through differencing annual SfM surveys of an eroding badland. We show how 3D precision maps enable more probable erosion patterns to be identified than existing analyses, and how a similar overall survey precision could have been achieved with direct survey georeferencing for camera position data with precision half as good as the GCPs'. Where precision is limited by weak georeferencing (e.g. camera positions with multi‐metre precision, such as from a consumer UAV), then overall survey precision can scale as n^‐½ of the control precision (n = number of images). Our method also provides variance–covariance information for all parameters. Thus, we now open the door for SfM practitioners to use the comprehensive analyses that have underpinned rigorous photogrammetric approaches over the last half‐century. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Subglacial topography and internal structure of central and western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, determined from airborne radio echo sounding

During five austral summers, from 1994/1995 until 1998/1999, the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) carried out a large airborne radio echo sounding (RES) survey in Dronning Maud Land (DML), Antarctica. These ice thickness measurements are part of the AWI contribution to the pre-site survey for a deep ice core drill site in DML within the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA). The survey encompasses more than 90,000 km of RES profiles over DML and the adjacent coastal area, covering more than 1 million km². The lower boundary of the ice sheet could be determined area-wide. Internal horizons occurring in the upper two-thirds of the ice column can also be traced for several hundred kilometers. This work presents the latest maps of the subglacial topography of the investigated area as well as of an internal horizon.     

Talus slope geomorphology investigated at multiple time scales from high-resolution topographic surveys and historical aerial photographs (Sanetsch Pass,Switzerland)

Talus slopes are common places for debris storage in high-mountain environments and form an important step in the alpine sediment cascade. To understand slope instabilities and sediment transfers, detailed investigations of talus slope geomorphology are needed. Therefore, this study presents a detailed analysis of a talus slope on Col du Sanetsch (Swiss Alps), which is investigated at multiple time scales using high-resolution topographic (HRT) surveys and historical aerial photographs. HRT surveys were collected during three consecutive summers (2017–2019), using uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) measurements. To date, very few studies exist that use HRT methods on talus slopes, especially to the extent of our study area (2 km²). Data acquisition from ground control and in situ field observations is challenging on a talus slope due to the steep terrain (30–37°) and high surface roughness. This results in a poor spatial distribution of ground control points (GCPs), causing unwanted deformation of up to 2 m in the gathered UAV-derived HRT data. The co-alignment of UAV imagery from different survey dates improved this deformation significantly, as validated by the TLS data. Sediment transfer is dominated by small-scale but widespread snow push processes. Pre-existing debris flow channels are prone to erosion and redeposition of material within the channel. A debris flow event of high magnitude occurred in the summer of 2019, as a result of several convective thunderstorms. While low-magnitude (<5,000 m³) debris flow events are frequent throughout the historical record with a return period of 10–20 years, this 2019 event exceeded all historical debris flow events since 1946 in both extent and volume. Future climate predictions show an increase of such intense precipitation events in the region, potentially altering the frequency of debris flows in the study area and changing the dominant geomorphic process which are active on such talus slopes. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.