Trimble announced its continued support of Project Pressure by providing advanced GNSS positioning technology and research funding for the nonprofit organisation’s latest expedition to map the disappearing tropical glaciers of Puncak Jaya in Papua, Indonesia.
Project Pressure has released a centimetre-accurate, 3D model of the receding ice, created using Trimble positioning technology and drone-based photogrammetry. The model establishes a scientific baseline for calculating the rate of glacier recession and projecting the timeline of disappearance.
Local communities also use the data to make informed choices about crop selection and prepare for expected water shortages caused by the loss of these vital reservoirs. This expedition marks the third successful outing in Project Pressure’s Melting Topics series, which focuses on mapping equatorial glaciers.
“Trimble is proud to provide its GNSS mapping technology and research funding from the Trimble Foundation Fund to support Project Pressure in gathering critical data in some of the world’s most remote and hostile environments. Mapping these glaciers before they disappear is of critical importance to establish a baseline to track the glacial regression and for the local communities to understand what is happening with their water source, allowing them to adapt to a changing climate,” said Eliot Jones, senior manager, strategy and partner development at Trimble.
“Through a combination of precision technology, detailed project planning and rigorous science, the models created by Project Pressure are shared for scientific study and provide a visual reference for future generations.”
Mapping glaciers at altitudes exceeding 4,800 meters (15,000 feet) presents extreme logistical and environmental challenges. Near-constant cloud cover and heavy rainfall in Papua often render satellite imagery unusable, making ground-based georeferencing essential.
The expedition team installed precise geolocation reference points directly on the glacial surface at multiple locations. Using the Trimble Catalyst DA2 GNSS system and the Trimble TDC600 handheld, researchers captured the exact coordinates of those points with centimetre-level accuracy. Drone imagery was then processed against the Trimble coordinates to produce a scientifically reliable 3D model of the glacier.