Assessment of landscape changes using high resolution LiDAR data:The proglacial area of Pasterze glacier and the DGSD of Zintlwald as recent examples in the Eastern Alps

One of the objectives within the two projects ALPCHANGE (Climate change
 and impacts in Southern Austrian regions) and ASSIST (Alpine Safety,
 Security & Informational Services and Technologies) is to fathom
 the potential of Digital ground models derived from LiDAR (Light
 detection and ranging) data to determine landscape modification.
 LiDAR is used in the two techniques airborne laser scanning (ALS)
 and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) at the Pasterze glacier in the
 Hohe Tauern Range, Carinthia (47°05’N, 12°44’E), and Zintlwald mass
 movement in the Stanzer Tal valley near Landeck, Tyrol (47°07’N,
 10°29’E). The glacier terminus of the Pasterze glacier has been monitored
 since 2001 focusing on recent processes such as glacier retreat,
 ice collapse, development of proglacial areas (e.g. melting of dead
 ice bodies, -2.50 m surface lowering, 2004-05) as well as monitoring
 instable slopes threatening tourist areas. ALS data are used to assess
 the situation at the deep seated gravitational slope deformation
 (DGSD) Zintlwald. This DGSD is indicated by several prominent scarps
 at the upper slope and at the foot of the slope the river Rosanna
 is pushed to the opposite slope. A disturbed morphology is also caused
 by secondary mass movements such as a recently activated landslide
 in the lower part of the slope.