Multitemporal monitoring of the morphodynamics of a mid-mountain stream using UAS photogrammetry

Abstract

This paper explores the potential of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) for the analysis of variations in the fluvial dynamics of a mid-mountain stream. The UAS photogrammetry was employed to acquire a multitemporal set of high-precision digital terrain models (DTMs) and orthoimages, thereby enabling the reconstruction of variations in riverbed and quantitative analysis of volumetric changes. A hexacopter UAS platform was used for the repeated acquisition of data for the photogrammetric analysis of a stretch of mid-mountain streams with elevated fluvial dynamics. Photogrammetric reconstruction enabled the development of accurate DTMs and orthoimages with spatial resolutions of 2 cm per pixel. These were identified and used to quantitatively assess the segments of channels with active lateral erosion. The UAS-derived data facilitated an analysis of the shifts of stream banks and the calculation of the areal extent of changes and volumetric extent of bank erosion. Comparison of UAS-derived point clouds with aerial LiDAR scanning data demonstrated the high spatial accuracy and precision of the UAS data. The accuracy and high operability of the imaging provide spatial data of a new qualitative level and the potential for the detailed analysis of experimental areas where spatial information is of limited availability.