Airborne / LiDAR

Owned by Maiwenn Herpe
Last updated: Jun 21, 2021 by Frederika Mourot
2 min read

Examples of potential applications

 

  • Improve terrain models, and as an input to other models, measurement of vegetation and other objects.

  • Specific use cases include calculation of impervious surfaces, flood plain mapping, drainage lines, asset mapping, vegetation classification, derivation of vegetation and object heights.

Range of flight height and captured zone width (m)

Flown at altitudes to increase point density, often flight lines are overlapped to increase density and ensure full coverage.

Spectral Range (nm)

LiDAR sits within the NIR wavelengths and bathymetric LiDAR includes the blue wavelength to penetrate water. Often captured along with aerial photography.

Spatial Resolution (m)

Collected as a point cloud which varies with acquisition parameters - normal range is 10-30 cm.
These points are gridded and two products commonly produced a Digital Terrain Model and Digital Surface Model. Subtraction of these gives a Canopy Height Model.

Benefits

  • Ability to capture data in remote, unsafe or difficult to access locations, lowering safety risks.

  • Data acquisition can be done without disrupting operations on the ground.

  • Multiple uses; DTM provides high resolution representation of topography - elevation, slope, and aspect. Many of these derivatives used as model inputs, the surface models used to characterise the height of vegetation and objects above the surface.

Limitations

  • Expensive method if captured at a small local scale and often limited number of sensors available which has caused time delays in capture and processing.

  • Capture can be limited by visibility constraints and poor weather conditions.

Selection of references

Muhadi NA , Abdullah AF , Bejo SK, Mahadi MR, Mijic A. 2020. The Use of LiDAR-Derived DEM in Flood Applications: A Review. Remote Sensing, Watt, P.J., Watt, M.S. (2013). Development of a national model of Pinus radiata stand volume from LiDAR metrics for New Zealand. International Journal of Remote Sensing 34, 5892-5904

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/14/2308