Mapping the last frontier

Faster, more accurate data analysis

Leica LiDAR Survey Suite LLSS v2.09 was used to convert raw data files into industry-standard LAS1.2 for output. Because LAS datasets are in binary format, they provide quick and easy access to information, either for analysis or visualisation purposes. Datasets from both scanners were tiled to 1 x 1 km to simplify the computational requirements for data viewing and analysis. As a result, we generated 829 tiles across the survey area, and each tile included a 20 m buffer zone in each direction to generate a seamless 1 m digital elevation model (DEM) for mapping purposes.

The deepest water body was calculated at 3.5 m. Of all 4,697 water bodies analysed, 3,837 (81.7 per cent) were classified as shallow or very shallow, with measured depths of less than 1 m. Only 4.6 per cent (216 total) of the water bodies had depths that exceeded 2.0 m. The average depth of all water bodies was calculated at 0.67 m. A total of 3,014 water bodies (64.1 per cent) contained less than 1,000 m3 of water volume whereas 1,683 lakes were calculated to have more than 1,000 m3 of water volume (35.9 per cent). The average volume of all water bodies analysed was calculated at 12,771 m3 (3,373,741 gal) of all water bodies analysed.

“The advanced technology of the Chiroptera provided accurate, detailed, and cost-effective results that permitted analysis of microtopographic and bathymetric features in a remote location of the world,” said Andrews. “Water bodies of all shapes and sizes — riverine environments, wetlands and uplands, hills and flat areas, and all other terrain features — were mapped and analysed rapidly and accurately.”

Back to Reporter 75 article overview

Story: Mapping the last frontier
Chapter 1: A unique landscape
Chapter 2: Flying with double the scanning power
Chapter 3: Faster, more accurate data analysis