Airborne Lidar and Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery: A Fusion of Two Proven Sensors for Improved Hydrographic Surveying

Published in the Proceedings of the Canadian Hydrographic Conference 2000, 2000. Presented at the Canadian Hydrographic Conference 2000, held in Montreal, Canada on 15-20 May 2000. The original document contains color images.

Airborne lidar has become a fully operational tool for hydrographic surveying in recent years. Currently there are four airborne laser bathymetry (ALB) systems operating worldwide. One system, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Scanning Hydrographic Operational Airborne Lidar Survey (SHOALS) simultaneously measures water depth and adjacent surface topography. Airborne hyperspectral imagery from the Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) has been proven to be a valuable tool for coastal measurements and analysis. CASI's spectral resolution of 288 bands for each spatial pixel allows for the extraction of a vast amount of information such as water clarity, water temperature, bottom type, bathymetry, as well as water quality (chlorophyll, dissolved organic carbon, and suspended minerals), soil types, and plant species. In order for ALB to achieve a comprehensive hydrographic capability, additional sensors would have to be integrated. Combining SHOALS and CASI would be a substantial step in accomplishing a full hydrographic survey capability for ALB. Surveys using this combination of sensors will provide valuable information for different agencies. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needs information that will aid in sediment transport monitoring and regional sediment management. The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) uses the ALB system to collect hydrographic information about the littoral zone for the warfighter. By adding the hyperspectral capability, NAVOCEANO may be able to enhance its ability to quickly provide a more complete environmental picture.