Water depth measurement using an airborne pulsed neon laser system

Area of Science:

• Oceanography
• Remote Sensing
• Lidar Technology

Background:

• Airborne Oceanographic Lidar (AOL) system development.
• Need for accurate bathymetric measurements in diverse water conditions.
• Previous lidar system limitations in depth and turbidity penetration.

Purpose of the Study:

• Present initial field test performance of the AOL in bathymetry mode.
• Evaluate system accuracy and operational performance using water-truth data.
• Establish and assess a performance criterion for lidar bathymetry.

Main Methods:

• Conducted flight tests over the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay.
• Collected simultaneous boat-based water-truth measurements (depth, beam attenuation).
• Analyzed lidar performance using the alphad product criterion (goal of 6).

Main Results:

• Achieved water depth measurements up to 10 m in clear ocean waters.
• Measured depths to 4.6 m in turbid Chesapeake Bay waters.
• Successfully met or exceeded the alphad performance goal of 6 in numerous tests.

Conclusions:

• The AOL system demonstrates significant improvements in bathymetric measurement capabilities.
• Digital waveform recording and wide-swath mapping enhance data acquisition.
• The system is a valuable tool for oceanographic research and mapping.