LAND DEGRADATION MONITORING USING AIRBORNE LASER SCANNING

Environmental deterioration such as soil erosion and land degradation are a cause for increased concern in many regions around the world. In this regard, understanding and quantifying the geomorphic processes that such regions are undergoing is a fundamental step that can promote efficient solutions. Even though the processes that influence the surface topography are three dimensional in nature, they are usually monitored in 2D using either classical geodetic techniques or naive interpretation of aerial images. We present in this paper a methodology for quantifying geomorphic processes in the form of soil erosion, channel incision, land degradation, and the development of sinkholes, in high resolution using airborne laser scanning technology. As a test case, we choose the Dead Sea region, where lake level drop of almost one meter per year has resulted in dramatic changes to the geomorphic system leading to the destruction of wetland environments, rapid headcuts migration that endanger the natural environment and infrastructure, and development of sinkhole fields that in some parts halted regional development. We show how laser data is optimal for detecting such phenomena, accurately characterizing them, and determine their evolutionary rates as well as predicting their future development.