OBSERVATIONS ON GLACIERS IN THE EASTERN AUSTRIAN ALPS USING SATELLITEDATA

Ground-based measurements on the Pasterze Glacier and the Kleines Flei sskees, located in the eastern Alps of Austria, have shown that these glaciers have receded significantly. Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data of these glaciers were acquired in August of 1984, 1986, 1988 and 199 0, and have been studied in detail. The 1984-1990 retreat of the Paste rze Glacier has been measured using digital TM data, but the 1984-1988 retreat of the Kleines Fleisskees has not been observed using the TM data because the magnitude of recession between 1984 and 1988 was smal l relative to the resolution of the TM data. Significant increases in the area of exposed ice (ice facies) on both the Pasterze Glacier and the Kleines Fleisskees were observed and measured using TM data acquir ed in early August from 1984 to 1988. The area of the Pasterze Glacier and Kleines Fleisskees basins, as measured using TM data, is 20.8+/-1 .02 km2 and 1.56 +/- 0.188 km2, respectively. The percentage of the Pa sterze Glacier comprised of bare ice increased from 23 per cent in Aug ust of 1984 to 36 per cent in August of 1988. Data from nearby meteoro logical stations show no significant new snowfall during the months of July and early August in 1984, 1986 or 1988 prior to the Landsat over passes, to obliterate the delineation of the ice facies. The Kleines F leisskees was also measured using the same TM scene. 40 per cent of th is glacier consisted of the ice facies in 1984, and 59 per cent in 198 8. Field measurements show that both the Pasterze Glacier and the Klei nes Fleisskees have been losing mass for more than 100 years.