Terrestrial Scanning / Glacier, Iceberg and Snowfield Monitoring

David Milan*, Geroge Heritage & David Hetherington
Application of 3D laser scanner in assessment of proglacial fluvial sediment budget 19.08.2009

* Department of Natural & Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, UK.

The study was carried out on the proglacial outwash of the Mont Miné and Ferpècle glaciers situated in the Valais region of the Swiss alps. Survey work concentrated on a 4000 m2 reach of braided gravel-bed channel towards the tail of the outwash fan. The channel was fed primarily by meltwater originating from the Mont Miné glacier. Meltwater discharge displays a strong diurnal signal during the summer month. The channel was dry in the early morning, facilitating laser scanning.

A RIEGL LMS-Z210 laser scanner was used to collect a series of independent datasets recording range distance, relative height, surface colour and reflectivity. The scans were merged using RiSCAN PRO post-processing software. Reflectors were used in the field to help merge the scans.