Dimensions - January/February 2008 - (Page 4)

USGS Attempts High Density Capture In response to the October 2007 wildfires that devastated parts of Southern California, the U.S. Geological Survey tasked Dewberry, under a previously held contract, to perform two Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) projects, one in the Day Fire area of the Los Padres and Angeles National Forests and the other in the area of the Canyon Fire that burned near Malibu. The Day Fire Debris Flow Task Order, slated to be performed pre-fire, was delayed when the fires started. The Canyon Fire Task Order was added post-fire, for a total flight coverage area of 245.4 square miles. The imagery flights were delayed until air space was cleared and smoke from the fires had dissipated. Both task orders required extremely high density LiDAR imagery in steep, rugged terrain for post-fire debris flow and physical process Post-Wildfire Data Gives Insight on Severe Slopes and Debris Flow Modeling modeling that is dependent on detailed elevation data. The project team, consisting of Dewberry and Terrapoint USA, Inc., flew numerous east/west flight lines, in addition to the more standard north/south flight lines, in order to achieve the six-points-per-squaremeter high density imagery that the contract required. The high density scans were necessary to best characterize the topography in the severely precipitous environment. The USGS has not typically quantified terrain using such high density imagery, but the detailed data imagery gathered from these flights will be used for research purposes. The data will provide critical information on the detailed effects of terrain on post-fire erosion processes and debris-flow generation. The work is intended to provide emergency managers with decisive information about remediation of post-fire threats to life, property and natural resources. By capturing such high density information on the rugged terrain (top), the USGS is able to provide never-before modeled digital information on the geological landscape (bottom). Among the charred landscape, LiDAR surveying is achieved on a steep slope. 4 http://www.usgs.gov/ http://www.usgs.gov/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Dimensions - January/February 2008

Dimensions - January/February 2008 Contents The Greening of Fort Bragg: Post Works to Implement LEED Goals LiDAR and the California Wildfires: High Density Imagery Shows Effects on Terrain Energy Saving Design: A New Green Library Promotes Efficiency Giant Improvements: New Shopping and Housing Development Opens The Disposable World: PSA-Dewberry Participates in National Building Museum Discussion

Dimensions - January/February 2008

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