Bathymetric LiDAR is increasingly being collected for civilian applications such as storm surge modeling, coastal inundation and vulnerability studies as well as other uses such as marine habitat classification. Compared to topographic LiDAR surveys, the cost of collecting bathymetric LiDAR is significant.
Bathymetric LiDAR systems are also more vulnerable to the adverse influences of environmental effects that can lead to data problems and coverage gaps. For example, such systems tend to fail when water clarity is poor (i.e. due to high turbidity), which is often the case in the critical inter-tidal zone due to suspended sediments and breaking waves.
These systems also struggle when the water is very shallow (say less than 1m) and when the sea bed has low reflectivity due, for example, to the presence of sea weed or mud. In light of these considerations, it is vital to understand the potential applications and user requirements of the DEM products generated from bathymetric LiDAR surveys.
This project aims to identify user needs for bathymetric DEM products and the features that make those products versatile, multi-use and fit-for-purpose. The suitability of alternative data collection methods will also be evaluated in light of the user needs analysis.
Contributors: Jessica Roberts, Nathan Quadros, Phil Collier