Remote sensing techniques applied to geomorphological mapping of rocky coast: the case study of Gallinara Island (Western Liguria, Italy)

Abstract

Geomorphological survey and mapping of the emerged and submerged coastal areas, particularly addressed to evaluate sea cliff instability within the assessment of coastal hazard and risk mitigation measures, require high resolution and georeferenced spatial data. Remote sensing techniques fully satisfy these needs and allow to obtain all information in a single short-lived survey campaign. An integrated survey by means of laser scanner and multibeam techniques coupled with aerial photos interpretation has been experienced along the rocky coast of the Gallinara Island (Western Liguria, Italy). The small extent of Gallinara, together with its particular meteo-marine climate conditions, makes the island a noteworthy case study. Multibeam and laser scanner technologies allowed to reconstruct the submerged and emerged rocky coast at high resolution. The accuracy of the 3D surface reconstructed by means of laser scanner used in profiler mode was tested and validated, by comparing with the static laser scanner survey method. The resulting data allowed to obtain significant geological and geomorphological information leading to the definition of rocky cliff stability conditions.