NRC Estonian Twinning Program

U.S. National Research Council
Estonian Twinning Program

Emporia State University, Kansas
University of Tartu, Estonia

**Table of Contents**
Introduction	Twinning program
Program timetable	Results from Estonia
Results from Colorado	Publications

Introduction

In 1997, the U.S. National Research Council solicited proposals to establish twinning programs between universities in the Baltic republics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and the United States. Emporia State University, Kansas (USA) and the University of Tartu, Estonia were selected to undertake a twinning program in the area of Quaternary and glacial geology. This twinning program was one of only 14 funded, out of more than 120 proposals submitted that year. Following are the principal exchange faculty.

Dr. James S. Aber is Professor of Geology in the Earth Science Department, Division of Physical Sciences at Emporia State University. His main research areas include glacial geomorphology, glaciotectonics, and remote sensing. Aber has undertaken field-based investigations in several parts of the United States, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, and Poland. He has developed a specialty in kite aerial photography--see KAP.
Dr. Volli Kalm holds the Chair of Applied Geology, Institute of Geology in the Faculty of Biology and Geography. He was also the vice-rector of the University of Tartu, in charge of all academic affairs and management (1998-2003). Kalm has conducted research in the eastern Baltic region, Norway, Canada, and Venezuela. He is an expert on alpine glaciation of the Andes Mountains.

Twinning Program

The twinning program has several goals which involve the interchange of faculty, techniques, research expertise, and knowledge between the two exchange partners. The primary focus is the use of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) techniques for mapping and analyzing glacial and Quaternary landforms in Estonia. Landsat thematic mapper (TM) datasets form the main source of satellite imagery to be utilized. In addition, field observations and kite aerial photography provide so-called "ground truth" for better interpretation of the satellite imagery. Aber has taken the lead in developing this part of the twinning program, and ESU graduate research assistant, Mik Lewicki, handled the image processing.

Digital elevation model of the Baltic region, northern Europe. Adapted from the U.S. National Geophysical Data Center--GLOBE Project.

Another part of the twinning program is to benefit from Kalm's expertise in alpine glaciation. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains of southern Colorado supported many small alpine glaciers during the Ice Age (Pleistocene Epoch). Although no glaciers exist in these mountains today, deposits and landforms of the ancient glaciers are quite well preserved. A field area has been selected at Trinchera Peak, Culebra Range, in vicinity of Cuchara, Colorado. Aber, Kalm, and several ESU graduate students have undertaken field observations, which should help to decipher better the glacial and climatic history of this region.

Timetable for the Twinning Program

Year Activity
1998 Begin search for suitable remote sensing and GIS data for Estonia. Make preliminary arrangements for exchanges.
1999 Exchange by Kalm to the United States. Preliminary interpretation of Estonian satellite imagery. Preliminary field assessment of Trinchera Peak vicinity; tree-ring analysis of Trinchera Peak vicinity
2000 Second exchange by Kalm to the United States, and first exchange by Aber to Estonia. Complete initial phase of satellite imagery for western Estonia. Ground observations and kite aerial photography of glacial and Quaternary landforms. Completion of twinning program grant from NRC.
2001 Second visit by Aber to Estonia. Landsat image interpretation for eastern Estonia. Kite aerial photography of glacial wetland environments in eastern and southwestern Estonia.
2002 Analysis of Landsat imagery for eastern Estonia. Continued field observations in Colorado.
2003 Visit by Kalm to Colorado for additional field observations of glacial and periglacial landforms. Aber and Kalm attend INQUA Congress in Reno, NV.
2004 Projected travel by Aber to Estonia for more kite aerial photography of glacial landforms and wetland environments.

Year	Activity
1998	Begin search for suitable remote sensing and GIS data for Estonia. Make preliminary arrangements for exchanges.
1999	Exchange by Kalm to the United States. Preliminary interpretation of Estonian satellite imagery. Preliminary field assessment of Trinchera Peak vicinity; tree-ring analysis of Trinchera Peak vicinity
2000	Second exchange by Kalm to the United States, and first exchange by Aber to Estonia. Complete initial phase of satellite imagery for western Estonia. Ground observations and kite aerial photography of glacial and Quaternary landforms. Completion of twinning program grant from NRC.
2001	Second visit by Aber to Estonia. Landsat image interpretation for eastern Estonia. Kite aerial photography of glacial wetland environments in eastern and southwestern Estonia.
2002	Analysis of Landsat imagery for eastern Estonia. Continued field observations in Colorado.
2003	Visit by Kalm to Colorado for additional field observations of glacial and periglacial landforms. Aber and Kalm attend INQUA Congress in Reno, NV.
2004	Projected travel by Aber to Estonia for more kite aerial photography of glacial landforms and wetland environments.

Results from Estonia

Glacial landforms

The vicinity of Vormsi and Väinameri in northwestern Estonia was the setting for our initial field observations in Estonia. This region has a low-lying glacial landscape and shallow sea floor. Landsat TM satellite images have been created to enhance the appearance of vegetation and land use and to bring out features of the shallow sea floor. In addition, Aber carried out kite aerial photography on Vormsi in order to acquire low-height, high-resolution images of glacial landforms and the shallow sea floor.

Map of the Vormsi and Väinameri vicinity, northwestern Estonia. The Landsat TM images above correspond closely to this geographic region. Vormsi map obtained from the Estonian Atlas.

Our attention focused on eskers, ridges of sand and gravel deposited by rivers that flowed under the ice sheet. The eskers of Vormsi are shown in Landsat TM images by distinctive patterns of land use and by their prominent peninsulas. As the highest and best drained landforms, the eskers are largely cleared for agricultural fields and are sites for roads and villages. This land use contrasts with forest cover in lower, poorly drained zones between eskers. We have extended land-based eskers of Vormsi across the sea floor, and we have identified additional probable eskers marked by shallow shoals and tiny islands. The known and suspected eskers of Vormsi and surroundings demonstrate a regular pattern in their distribution, which we suggest represents a subglacial drainage network.

Landsat TM false-color composite made of TM bands 3, 4 and 5 color coded as blue, green and red, 28 July 1986. This image depicts in green and yellow-green colors active vegetation on land; water bodies are dark regardless of depth. Click on the small image to see a full-sized version (182 kb).
Special Landsat TM false-color composite made of a water-only image combined with TM bands 3 and 5; color coded as blue, green and red, 26 June 1986. This image depicts in blue colors subtle variation in depth of the sea floor. Click on the small image to see a full-sized version (149 kb).

Wetland environments

Another aspect of the exchange is investigation of Estonian bogs. Owing to abundant precipitation and slight runoff, the country rich in wetlands. More than one-fifth of the territory is covered by swamps, marshes, fens, and bogs. The latter have a unique assemblage of plants dominated by several species of peat moss (Sphagnum sp.). These bogs are especially prominent in satellite images, and they represent an important natural environment for plants, wildlife, and water resources. Kite aerial photography was carried out at the Endla Nature Reserve in east-central Estonia and in other parts of the country for the purpose of testing this technique for detailed investigations of bogs.

Landsat composite image based on ETM+ bands 2, 4, and 5, 30 m resolution, color coded as blue, green and red, 10 July 1999. Peat bogs appear in dark purple and violet colors; forest is dark green. Light pink, blue, green and white show agricultural fields, villages and roads; water is black. Areas of peat mining are depicted in bright red-pink color. The fine-grid pattern shows drainage networks in the forest surrounding the nature reserve. Image processing by J.S. Aber; click on the small image (above) to see a full-sized (271 kb) version.

Landsat b/w image based on ETM+ pan band, 15 m resolution, 10 July 1999. Numbered sites: 1 = Männikjärve bog, 2 = Kaasikjärve bog, 3 = Linnusaare bog, 4 = Endla bog, 5 = Kanamatsi bog, 6 = Rummallika bog, 7 = Endla Lake, 8 = Sinijärv (blue lake). Kite aerial photos were acquired in Männikjärve bog at the black star. Image processing by J.S. Aber; click on the small image (above) to see a full-sized (137 kb) version.

	Kite aerial photo looking northwest across Männikjärve bog, Endla Nature Reserve, east-central Estonia. The bog center is seen toward the left. It's marked by elongated peat hummocks with intervening narrow water pools. The path is an elevated wooden walkway for visitors. Kite flyers are working from a small meteorologic station in lower part of view. Photo date 9/00, © J.S. Aber.
	Closeup, low-oblique view of the Männikjärve bog-forest margin. Sun glint shows small water pools in the bog, and a trail is faintly visible running toward the upper left corner of view. Photo date 9/00, © J.S. Aber.
	Boardwalk and observation tower in the center of Männikjärve bog. This new tower was opened in 2001; it replaces an older, smaller tower. Notice the tiny "button" islands within the linear pools in the foreground. Digital image date 9/01; © J.S. Aber.
	Closeup vertical picture of pools and hummocks near the center of Männikjärve Bog. A = Sphagnum cuspidatum floating in water, B = S. cuspidatum around pool shore, C = S. rubellum above water, D = pine trees on hummocks along with dwarf shrubs. Boardwalk is 2 feet (60 cm) wide. Digital image date 9/01; © J.S. Aber.

Other Estonian colleagues have joined this effort, notably Kiira Aaviksoo (Environment Information Centre, Ministry of the Environment) and Edgar Karofeld (Institute of Ecology, Tallinn Pedagogical University), who have a strong interest in remote sensing of peatland. They assisted with field work in 2001 and have agreed to cooperate for future remote sensing of wetlands in Estonia (planned for 2004).

Preliminary Results from Colorado

	Trinchera Peak (13,517 feet) seen from the northeast. The field base camp for July, 2000 is visible to the lower left. It is located on an end moraine at 12,000 feet elevation in the valley of Cucharas Creek. Photo date 7/00, © J.S. Aber.
	View from Trinchera Peak toward the northeast with West Spanish Peak visible on the right horizon. Tree-ring sample sites are indicated: 1 = Bear Lake, 2 = Blue Lake, 3 = near timberline. Tree-ring samples were collected in August, 1999. Photo date 7/00, © J.S. Aber.
	J.S. Aber collecting a tree-ring core from a spruce tree at Bear Lake. Photo date 8/99, © J.S. Aber.
	A suspected, former "rock glacier" forms a lobe-like mass of broken stones on the side of Cucharas Creek valley. Photo date 7/00, © J.S. Aber.
	Closeup view of jumbled stones in the rock glacier. The stones are now stable, as shown by vegetation growth and lichen cover. Red pocket knife for scale. Photo date 7/00, © J.S. Aber.
	Jay Aber demonstrates "patterned ground" on the summit of Trinchera Peak. Stone lines form polygons around grass hummocks. Such landscapes formed under permafrozen, tundra conditions during the Ice Age. Photo date 7/00, © J.S. Aber.

Publications and Theses

Aber, J.S., Aaviksoo, K, Karofeld, E. and Aber, S.W. 2002. Patterns in Estonian bogs as depicted in color kite aerial photographs. Suo 53(1), p. 1-15.

Aber, J.S. and Aber, S.W. 2001. Potential of kite aerial photography for peatland investigations with examples from Estonia. Suo 52(2), p. 45-56.

Aber, J.S. and Kalm, V. 2001. Remote sensing of eskers from Vormsi and Väinameri vicinity, northwestern Estonia. Geological Quarterly 45(4), p. 365-372.

Aber, J.S., Kalm, V. and Lewicki, M. 2000. Geomorphic interpretation of Landsat imagery for western Estonia. Slovak Geologic Magazine 7(3), p. 237-242.

Eslick, J.C. 2002. Use of remote sensing data to evaluate change in the Endla Nature Reserve and Emajõe Suursoo mire complex in Estonia. Unpub. Master's thesis, Emporia State University, 157 p.

Lewicki, M. 2000. Landsat imagery of Estonia. Unpub. Master's thesis, Emporia State University, 102 p.

Veatch, S. 2000. Geomorphic processes and past climatic variations inferred from a tree-ring series, Trinchera Peak area, Colorado. Unpub. Master's thesis, Emporia State University, 135 p.

Connect to related sites

Kite aerial photography of Estonia.
Remote sensing research at Emporia State University.
Institute of Ecology, Tallinn Pedagogical University.
Environment Information Centre, Ministry of the Environment, Estonia.
Cuchara, Colorado.

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Last update Sept. 2003.

	Landsat TM false-color composite made of TM bands 3, 4 and 5 color coded as blue, green and red, 28 July 1986. This image depicts in green and yellow-green colors active vegetation on land; water bodies are dark regardless of depth. Click on the small image to see a full-sized version (182 kb).
	Special Landsat TM false-color composite made of a water-only image combined with TM bands 3 and 5; color coded as blue, green and red, 26 June 1986. This image depicts in blue colors subtle variation in depth of the sea floor. Click on the small image to see a full-sized version (149 kb).

Emporia State University, Kansas University of Tartu, Estonia