MEETING THE ACCURACY CHALLENGE IN AIRBORNE LIDAR BATHYMETRY

Abstract

The essential qualities for a successful airborne lidar bathymeter are accuracy, capability, and cost effectiveness. Over the past twenty five years, developments in lasers, optics, electronics, and com-puters have made it somewhat easier to construct viable airborne lidar systems with varying pur-poses, and an increasing number are being constructed. Fewer than ten airborne lidar bathymeters exist in the world today, however, because of limited demand and because of the fact that it is still very difficult to meet the above three requirements, particularly the first. It is not hard to get an-swers from a system. It takes a great deal of understanding and effort, however, to obtain results that will meet international accuracy standards and the operational requirements of the typical cus-tomer. The primary considerations in the design, construction, and operation of an airborne bathymeter must be data quality and depth measurement accuracy. Both the physical environment and system hardware components contribute many error sources that must be overcome. This requires thoughtful hardware and software system design and construction, as well as the prediction, modelling, and application of appropriate correctors. Operational procedures for quality control, calibration, and maintenance must