Laser scanning applications in fluvial studies

Peer reviewe

Entwicklung von Full-Waveform Stackingverfahren zur Detektion schwacher Gewässerbodenechos in der Laserbathymetrie

Airborne Laserbathymetrie stellt eine effiziente und flächenhafte Messmethode für die Erfassung der sich ständig im Wandel befindlichen Gewässersohlen von Inlandgewässern und küstennahen Flachwasserbereichen dar. Bei diesem Verfahren wird ein kurzer grüner Laserpuls ausgesandt, welcher mit allen Objekten entlang des Laserpulspfades interagiert (z.B. Wasseroberfläche und Gewässerboden). Die zum Sensor zurückgestreuten Laserpulsanteile (Echos) werden in einem zeitlich hochaufgelösten Messsignal (Full-Waveform) digitalisiert und gespeichert. Allerdings ist das Messverfahren aufgrund von Gewässertrübung in seiner Eindringtiefe in den Wasserkörper limitiert. Die Gewässerbodenechos werden bei zunehmender Gewässertiefe schwächer, bis sie nicht mehr zuverlässig detektierbar sind. Diese Arbeit zeigt, wie mit neuartigen Methoden schwache Gewässerbodenechos in Full-Waveforms detektiert werden können, welche durch die Standardauswerteverfahren nicht mehr berücksichtigt werden. Im Kernstück der Arbeit werden zwei Verfahren vorgestellt, die auf einer gemeinsamen Auswertung dicht benachbarter Messdaten basieren. Unter der Annahme eines stetigen Gewässerbodens mit geringer bis moderater Geländeneigung führt die Zusammenfassung mehrerer Full-Waveforms zu einer Verbesserung des Signal/Rausch-Verhältnisses und einer Verstärkung von schwachen Gewässerbodenechos, welche folglich zuverlässiger detektiert werden können. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine erhebliche Erhöhung der auswertbaren Gewässertiefe (bis zu +30 %), wodurch eine deutlich größere Fläche des Gewässerbodens abgedeckt werden konnte (Flächenzuwachs von bis zu +113 %). In umfassenden Analysen der Ergebnisse konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass die hinzugewonnenen Gewässerbodenpunkte eine gute Repräsentation des Gewässerbodens darstellen. Somit leisten die in dieser Arbeit entwickelten Verfahren einen wertvollen Beitrag zur Steigerung der eingangs beschriebenen Effizienz der Airborne Laserbathymetrie.:Kurzfassung Abstract 1 Einleitung 1.1 Motivation 1.2 Ziele der Dissertation 1.3 Aufbau der Arbeit 2 Einführung in bathymetrische Messverfahren 2.1 Hydrographie und Bathymetrie 2.2 Airborne LiDAR Bathymetrie 2.2.1 Grundlagen Airborne Laserscanning 2.2.2 Der Pfad des Laserpulses 2.2.3 Fehlereinflüsse 2.3 Die Full-Waveform 2.3.1 Aufbau und Merkmale einer Full-Waveform 2.3.2 Systemwaveform 2.3.3 Full-Waveform Auswerteverfahren 2.4 Hydroakustische Messverfahren 2.4.1 Messprinzip 2.4.2 Echolot Varianten 2.4.3 Fehlereinflüsse 3 Nichtlineare Full-Waveform Stacking-Verfahren zur Detektion und Extraktion von Gewässerbodenpunkten – Beitrag 1, Beitrag 2, Beitrag 3 3.1 Signalbasiertes nichtlineares Full-Waveform Stacking 3.2 Volumetrisches nichtlineares Ortho-Full-Waveform Stacking 4 Anwendung von nichtlinearen Full-Waveform Stacking-Methoden auf maritime Gewässer – Beitrag 4 4.1 Studiengebiet in der Nordsee 4.2 Datengrundlage 4.3 Erste Ergebnisse einer Pilotstudie in küstennahen Bereichen der Nordsee 4.4 Untersuchungsgebiet 4.5 Klassifikation der Wasseroberflächenpunkte 4.6 Visualisierung der Ergebnisse 4.7 Genauigkeit und Zuverlässigkeit 4.8 Mehrwert der Verfahren 5 Potential der Full-Waveform Stacking-Methoden zur Ableitung der Gewässertrübung – Beitrag 5 6 Diskussion und weiterführende Arbeiten 6.1 Geometrische Modellierung der Laserpulsausbreitung 6.2 Einfluss der Gewässereigenschaften auf die Gewässerbodenbestimmung 6.3 Unterschätzung der Wasseroberfläche 6.4 Nutzung von Gewässertrübungsinformation für die Beurteilung der Zuverlässigkeit der Gewässertiefenbestimmung 6.5 Auswirkung der Nachbarschaftsdefinition beim signalbasiertem Full-Waveform Stacking 6.6 Gegenüberstellung signalbasiertes und volumetrisches Full-Waveform Stacking 6.7 Erweiterung des Full-Waveform Stackings mit dem Multi-Layer-Ansatz 7 Fazit der Dissertation 7.1 Zusammenfassung 7.2 Einordnung der Dissertation 7.3 Mehrwert der Dissertation Literaturverzeichnis Abbildungsverzeichnis Tabellenverzeichnis Symbolverzeichnis AbkürzungsverzeichnisAirborne laser bathymetry is an efficient and area-wide measurement method for the detection of the permanently changing water bottoms of inland waters and shallow water areas close to the coast. In this method, a short green laser pulse is emitted, which interacts with all objects along the laser pulse path (e.g. water surface and bottom). The backscattered laser pulse components (echoes) are digitized and stored in a high temporal resolution measurement signal (full-waveform). However, the measurement method is limited in its penetration depth into the water body due to water turbidity. The water bottom echoes become weaker as the water depth increases until they are no longer reliably detectable. This work shows how novel methods can be used to detect weak water bottom echoes in full-waveforms that are no longer accounted for by standard processing methods. In the core of the work, two methods are presented which are based on a joint evaluation of closely adjacent measurement data. Under the assumption of a steady water bottom with low to moderate slope, the combination of several full-waveforms leads to an improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio and an enhancement of weak water bottom echoes, which consequently can be detected more reliably. The results show a significant increase in the analyzable water depth (up to +30 %), allowing a much larger area of the water bottom to be covered (increase up to +113 %). Comprehensive analyses of the results proved that the added water bottom points are a good representation of the water bottom. Thus, the methods developed in this work constitute a valuable contribution to increase the efficiency of airborne laser bathymetry described at the beginning.:Kurzfassung Abstract 1 Einleitung 1.1 Motivation 1.2 Ziele der Dissertation 1.3 Aufbau der Arbeit 2 Einführung in bathymetrische Messverfahren 2.1 Hydrographie und Bathymetrie 2.2 Airborne LiDAR Bathymetrie 2.2.1 Grundlagen Airborne Laserscanning 2.2.2 Der Pfad des Laserpulses 2.2.3 Fehlereinflüsse 2.3 Die Full-Waveform 2.3.1 Aufbau und Merkmale einer Full-Waveform 2.3.2 Systemwaveform 2.3.3 Full-Waveform Auswerteverfahren 2.4 Hydroakustische Messverfahren 2.4.1 Messprinzip 2.4.2 Echolot Varianten 2.4.3 Fehlereinflüsse 3 Nichtlineare Full-Waveform Stacking-Verfahren zur Detektion und Extraktion von Gewässerbodenpunkten – Beitrag 1, Beitrag 2, Beitrag 3 3.1 Signalbasiertes nichtlineares Full-Waveform Stacking 3.2 Volumetrisches nichtlineares Ortho-Full-Waveform Stacking 4 Anwendung von nichtlinearen Full-Waveform Stacking-Methoden auf maritime Gewässer – Beitrag 4 4.1 Studiengebiet in der Nordsee 4.2 Datengrundlage 4.3 Erste Ergebnisse einer Pilotstudie in küstennahen Bereichen der Nordsee 4.4 Untersuchungsgebiet 4.5 Klassifikation der Wasseroberflächenpunkte 4.6 Visualisierung der Ergebnisse 4.7 Genauigkeit und Zuverlässigkeit 4.8 Mehrwert der Verfahren 5 Potential der Full-Waveform Stacking-Methoden zur Ableitung der Gewässertrübung – Beitrag 5 6 Diskussion und weiterführende Arbeiten 6.1 Geometrische Modellierung der Laserpulsausbreitung 6.2 Einfluss der Gewässereigenschaften auf die Gewässerbodenbestimmung 6.3 Unterschätzung der Wasseroberfläche 6.4 Nutzung von Gewässertrübungsinformation für die Beurteilung der Zuverlässigkeit der Gewässertiefenbestimmung 6.5 Auswirkung der Nachbarschaftsdefinition beim signalbasiertem Full-Waveform Stacking 6.6 Gegenüberstellung signalbasiertes und volumetrisches Full-Waveform Stacking 6.7 Erweiterung des Full-Waveform Stackings mit dem Multi-Layer-Ansatz 7 Fazit der Dissertation 7.1 Zusammenfassung 7.2 Einordnung der Dissertation 7.3 Mehrwert der Dissertation Literaturverzeichnis Abbildungsverzeichnis Tabellenverzeichnis Symbolverzeichnis Abkürzungsverzeichni

ALART: A novel lidar system for vegetation height retrieval from space

We propose a multi-kHz Single-Photon Counting (SPC) space LIDAR, exploiting low energy pulses with high repetition frequency (PRF). The high PRF allows one to overcome the low signal limitations, as many return shots can be collected from nearly the same scattering area. The ALART space instrument exhibits a multi-beam design, providing height retrieval over a wide area and terrain slope measurements. This novel technique, working with low SNRs, allows multiple beam generation with a single laser, limiting mass and power consumption. As the receiver has a certain probability to detect multiple photons from different levels of canopy, a histogram is constructed and used to retrieve the properties of the target tree, by means of a modal decomposition of the reconstructed waveform. A field demonstrator of the ALART space instrument is currently being developed by a European consortium led by cosine | measurement systems and funded by ESA under the TRP program. The demonstrator requirements have been derived to be representative of the target instrument and it will be tested in an equipped tower in woodland areas in the Netherlands. The employed detectors are state-of-the-art CMOS Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) matrices with 1024 pixels. Each pixel is independently equipped with an integrated Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC), achieving a timing accuracy that is much lower than the SPAD dead time, resulting in a distance resolution in the centimeter range. The instrument emits nanosecond laser pulses with energy on the order of several J, at a PRF of ~ 10 kHz, and projects on ground a three-beams pattern. An extensive field measurement campaign will validate the employed technologies and algorithms for vegetation height retrieval

Ocean remote sensing techniques and applications: a review (Part II)

As discussed in the first part of this review paper, Remote Sensing (RS) systems are great tools to study various oceanographic parameters. Part I of this study described different passive and active RS systems and six applications of RS in ocean studies, including Ocean Surface Wind (OSW), Ocean Surface Current (OSC), Ocean Wave Height (OWH), Sea Level (SL), Ocean Tide (OT), and Ship Detection (SD). In Part II, the remaining nine important applications of RS systems for ocean environments, including Iceberg, Sea Ice (SI), Sea Surface temperature (SST), Ocean Surface Salinity (OSS), Ocean Color (OC), Ocean Chlorophyll (OCh), Ocean Oil Spill (OOS), Underwater Ocean, and Fishery are comprehensively reviewed and discussed. For each application, the applicable RS systems, their advantages and disadvantages, various RS and Machine Learning (ML) techniques, and several case studies are discussed.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Robot-assisted measurement in data-sparse regions

This work investigated the use of low-cost robots, small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and small unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), to assist researchers in environmental data collection in the Arkavathy River Basin in Karnataka, India. In the late 20th century, river flows in the Arkavathy began to decline severely, and Bangalore’s dependence on the basin for local water supply shifted while the causes of drying remain unknown. Due to the lack of available data for the region, it is difficult for water management agencies to address the issue of declining surface flows; by collecting critical hydrologic data accurately and efficiently through the use of robots, where data is not available or accessible, local water resources can more easily be managed for the greater Bangalore region. Three case study sites, including two irrigation tanks and one urban lake, within the Arkavathy basin were selected where unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles collected data in the form of aerial imagery and bathymetric measurements. The data were further processed into 3D textured surface models and exported as digital elevations models (DEMs) for post-processing in GIS. From the DEMs, topographic and bathymetric maps were created and storage volumes and surface areas are calculated by relating water surface levels to tank bathymetry. The results are stage-storage and stage-surface area relationships for each case study site. These relationships provide valuable information relating to groundwater recharge and streamflow generation. Sensitivity analysis showed that the topographic surface data used in the stage-storage and stage-surface area curves was validated within ± 0.35 meters. By providing these relationships and curves, researchers can further understand hydrologic processes in the Arkavathy River Basin and inform local water management policies. From these case studies, three formative observations were made, relating to i) interpretation of the data fusion process using information collected from both UAV and USV systems; ii) observations for the human-robot interactions for USV and; iii) field observations for deployment and retrieval in water environments with low accessibility. This work is of interest to hydrologists and geoscientists who can use this methodology to assist in data collection and enhance their understanding of environmental processes

Remote Sensing of Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation: A Review from the Perspective of Remote Sensing Specialists

Remote sensing, the science of obtaining information via noncontact recording, has swept the fields of ecology, biodiversity and conservation (EBC). Several quality review papers have contributed to this field. However, these papers often discuss the issues from the standpoint of an ecologist or a biodiversity specialist. This review focuses on the spaceborne remote sensing of EBC from the perspective of remote sensing specialists, i.e., it is organized in the context of state-of-the-art remote sensing technology, including instruments and techniques. Herein, the instruments to be discussed consist of high spatial resolution, hyperspectral, thermal infrared, small-satellite constellation, and LIDAR sensors; and the techniques refer to image classification, vegetation index (VI), inversion algorithm, data fusion, and the integration of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS)

Characterising the ocean frontier : a review of marine geomorphometry

Geomorphometry, the science that quantitatively describes terrains, has traditionally focused on the investigation of terrestrial landscapes. However, the dramatic increase in the availability of digital bathymetric data and the increasing ease by which geomorphometry can be investigated using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has prompted interest in employing geomorphometric techniques to investigate the marine environment. Over the last decade, a suite of geomorphometric techniques have been applied (e.g. terrain attributes, feature extraction, automated classification) to investigate the characterisation of seabed terrain from the coastal zone to the deep sea. Geomorphometric techniques are, however, not as varied, nor as extensively applied, in marine as they are in terrestrial environments. This is at least partly due to difficulties associated with capturing, classifying, and validating terrain characteristics underwater. There is nevertheless much common ground between terrestrial and marine geomorphology applications and it is important that, in developing the science and application of marine geomorphometry, we build on the lessons learned from terrestrial studies. We note, however, that not all terrestrial solutions can be adopted by marine geomorphometric studies since the dynamic, four- dimensional nature of the marine environment causes its own issues, boosting the need for a dedicated scientific effort in marine geomorphometry. This contribution offers the first comprehensive review of marine geomorphometry to date. It addresses all the five main steps of geomorphometry, from data collection to the application of terrain attributes and features. We focus on how these steps are relevant to marine geomorphometry and also highlight differences from terrestrial geomorphometry. We conclude with recommendations and reflections on the future of marine geomorphometry.peer-reviewe

Comparison of sea-ice freeboard distributions from aircraft data and cryosat-2

The only remote sensing technique capable of obtain- ing sea-ice thickness on basin-scale are satellite altime- ter missions, such as the 2010 launched CryoSat-2. It is equipped with a Ku-Band radar altimeter, which mea- sures the height of the ice surface above the sea level. This method requires highly accurate range measure- ments. During the CryoSat Validation Experiment (Cry- oVEx) 2011 in the Lincoln Sea, Cryosat-2 underpasses were accomplished with two aircraft, which carried an airborne laser-scanner, a radar altimeter and an electro- magnetic induction device for direct sea-ice thickness re- trieval. Both aircraft flew in close formation at the same time of a CryoSat-2 overpass. This is a study about the comparison of the sea-ice freeboard and thickness dis- tribution of airborne validation and CryoSat-2 measure- ments within the multi-year sea-ice region of the Lincoln Sea in spring, with respect to the penetration of the Ku- Band signal into the snow