| Term: | Laser altimetry |
| Definition: | The measurement of surface elevation (altitude) with a laser altimeter. Particularly when used to measure elevation change, laser altimetry has become a leading source of data for the measurement of mass balance by the geodetic method. If, for logistical or financial reasons, it is not possible to survey the whole glacier by airborne laser altimetry, it is necessary to extrapolate to obtain a glacier-wide geodetic mass balance. |