Airborne laser bathymetry: a novel technique for shallow-water monitoring

Gilles Kervern; Andre Le Gall; Bernard Toullec

doi:10.1117/12.138511

17 December 1992 Airborne laser bathymetry: a novel technique for shallow-water monitoring

Gilles Kervern, Andre Le Gall, Bernard Toullec

Proceedings Volume 1714, Lidar for Remote Sensing; (1992) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.138511
Event: Environmental Sensing '92, 1992, Berlin, Germany

Abstract

Attention is given to airborne laser bathymetry, a new tool which allows very rapid hydrographic surveys to be conducted in shallow waters without the common marine navigation difficulties. A pulsed laser carried on board a plane or a helicopter sends an ultrashort luminous pulse to the sea bed. This pulse is located in the blue-green spectrum where sea water is the least absorptive. The pulse propagates with practically no attenuation to the surface of the water, where a first echo is retransmitted to the receiver due to the difference between the air and water index. When the pulse passes through the water, the suspended particles of organic origin (plankton) or mineral origin (sediment) diffuse the light transmitted and produce a diffused echo along the water column. On contact with the sea bed, a final echo, the amplitude of which will depend on the bottom type, is transmitted. Laser bathymetry is expected to reduce survey cost by a factor of 3. The instrument's mobility implies that areas far away from one another can be surveyed on the same day.

Citation Download Citation

Gilles Kervern, Andre Le Gall, and Bernard Toullec "Airborne laser bathymetry: a novel technique for shallow-water monitoring", Proc. SPIE 1714, Lidar for Remote Sensing, (17 December 1992); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.138511

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available