March 2021
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Terrestrial time-lapse images have been mainly used to improve glacier monitoring by measuring glacier flow, snow and ice albedo, mass and energy balance and to investigate calving and surging processes. Accelerated videos of time-lapse image series are extremely powerful tools to visualize the effects of climate change on glaciers. After the pioneering Extreme Ice Survey project (i.e., “Chasing Ice” documentary), this technique remained largely underused for dissemination and educational purposes. In order to fill this gap, since 2016, the Glaciological Service of Lombardy (SGL) established a network of 13 cameras investigating 6 glaciers in the Central Italian Alps (Adamello, Fellaria, Disgrazia, Lupo, Vazzeda and Campo Nord). These camera network supports the SGL mass balance monitoring program by keeping track of the meteorological conditions and snow-line fluctuations across the entire hydrological year. Furthermore, the three cameras installed at Fellaria glacier (Bernina massif) support specific scientific and dissemination objectives such as glacier flow and ice melting visualization, ice-fall development, calving events and proglacial lake development. Different camera systems have been adopted to optimise the specific image quality requirements for each location. Digital cameras range from do-it-yourself low-budget systems (e.g. solar powered smartphones, reflex and mirrorless cameras) to professional panoramic cameras (e.g., Enlaps tikee). In order to obtain the best possible image quality, digital images are mainly captured in raw format with a short sampling rate (from 10’ to 30’). Data post-processing includes image manual filtering, editing, deflickering, speed change and stabilization. Finally, selected images are stacked and exported in video format at 4k resolution. Until now, 9 videos have been created and published on SGL social media channels. These time-lapse videos have been spread by the main national newspaper websites and TV networks reaching a wide audience. This demonstrated the great potential of time-lapse images for the dissemination of global warming evidences to the public.