Surveying The Ice Volume Of Glaciers - A Shrinking Resource For Hydropower Exploitation - With Helicopter-Borne Ground Penetrating Radar

Melt water from glaciers makes a significant contribution to the overall discharge of Swiss rivers, especially during hot and dry summers. Consequently, the reduction of the ice volume in the Alps due to the ongoing melting of glaciers will have a strong impact on many fields including the electricity production from hydropower. For predicting the future discharge of rivers, a good knowledge of today’s ice volumes and the topography of the underlying bedrock is crucial.