Chapter 5
LiDAR Overview
Samuel J. Purkis and John C. Brock
Abstract LiDAR is rapidly gaining prominence in coral reef research and management due to its ability to represent complex topographic structures with very
high precision. The technology is now moving out of the research arena into
operational use with an accompanied dramatic drop in survey cost. Typically
aircraft mounted, LiDAR instruments are capable of auditing large areas more
rapidly than could be achieved using more traditional vessel-based techniques.
LiDAR, in contrast to passive optical remote sensing data, which rely on inference
using some radiance measurement or reflectance index, provides direct measurements of elevation from which both terrestrial and marine topography can be
easily derived. The combination of high point density scanning laser altimetry data
coupled with high precision GPS provide very detailed three-dimensional information. While typically used as the basis for mapping, these data are also well
poised for the derivation of coral reef biophysical properties, such as seabed
geomorphology, rugosity, texture and bed-form geometry. In turn, such parameters
can be related to both the biology and geology of the audited ecosystem.
S. J. Purkis (&)
National Coral Reef Institute, Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University,
8000 N. Ocean Drive, Dania, FL 33004, USA
e-mail: purkis@nova.edu
J. C. Brock
U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program,
USGS National Center, Mail Stop 915-B 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,
Reston, VA 20192, USA
e-mail: jbrock@usgs.gov
J. A. Goodman et al. (eds.), Coral Reef Remote Sensing,
DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-9292-2_5,
Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
115
LiDAR Overview
Samuel J. Purkis and John C. Brock
Abstract LiDAR is rapidly gaining prominence in coral reef research and management due to its ability to represent complex topographic structures with very
high precision. The technology is now moving out of the research arena into
operational use with an accompanied dramatic drop in survey cost. Typically
aircraft mounted, LiDAR instruments are capable of auditing large areas more
rapidly than could be achieved using more traditional vessel-based techniques.
LiDAR, in contrast to passive optical remote sensing data, which rely on inference
using some radiance measurement or reflectance index, provides direct measurements of elevation from which both terrestrial and marine topography can be
easily derived. The combination of high point density scanning laser altimetry data
coupled with high precision GPS provide very detailed three-dimensional information. While typically used as the basis for mapping, these data are also well
poised for the derivation of coral reef biophysical properties, such as seabed
geomorphology, rugosity, texture and bed-form geometry. In turn, such parameters
can be related to both the biology and geology of the audited ecosystem.
S. J. Purkis (&)
National Coral Reef Institute, Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University,
8000 N. Ocean Drive, Dania, FL 33004, USA
e-mail: purkis@nova.edu
J. C. Brock
U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program,
USGS National Center, Mail Stop 915-B 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,
Reston, VA 20192, USA
e-mail: jbrock@usgs.gov
J. A. Goodman et al. (eds.), Coral Reef Remote Sensing,
DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-9292-2_5,
Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
115