ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
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Citation
Articles | Volume II-5/W2
https://doi.org/10.5194/isprsannals-II-5-W2-1-2013
https://doi.org/10.5194/isprsannals-II-5-W2-1-2013
16 Oct 2013
 | 16 Oct 2013

LiDAR in extreme environment: surveying in Antarctica

D. Abate, S. Pierattini, and G. Bianchi Fasani

Keywords: Laser Scanning, Antarctica, Extreme Environment, 3D Modelling, Landscape

Abstract. This study was performed under the patronage of the Italian National Research Programme in Antarctica (PNRA) with the aim to realize a high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the moraine named "Boulder Clay" which insists approximately 7 km far from the Italian Research Base "Mario Zucchelli Station" in the Terra Nova Bay area. The DEM will be included in the project for the construction of two runways to be used as support facilities for the scientific research campaigns which take place on regular basis each year.

Although the research efforts to realize a detailed cartography of the area is on-going, for the specific aim and urgency of this project it was decided to perform a laser scanning survey in this extreme environment in order to obtain contour lines describing the terrain elevation each 50 cm and volume analysis.

The final result will be super imposed on a photogrammetric DEM with contour lines each 2.5 m and satellite images. This paper focus both on the final scientific data and on all the challenges have to be faced in such extreme and particular environment during the laser scanning survey.