Copyright c©2006 by the authors. Remote Sensing Technologies for Monitoring Climate Change Impacts on Glacier- and Permafrost-Related Hazards

Glacier- and permafrost-related hazards represent a continuous threat to human lives and infrastructure in high mountain regions. Because the surface and subsurface ice involved is generally close to melting conditions, glacier and permafrost hazards are particularly sensitive to climate changes. The present shift of cryospheric hazard zones due to atmospheric warming, process interactions and chain reactions, and the potential far reach of glacier disasters make it necessary to apply modern remote sensing techniques for the assessment of glacier and permafrost hazards in high mountains. In this contribution we provide an overview of different hazard types and how air-and space-borne remote sensing methods can be applied for their assessment. Remote sensing technologies for monitoring climate change impacts on glacier- and permafrost-related hazard