scholarly journals UAV survey method to monitor and analyze geological hazards: the case study of the mud volcano of Villaggio Santa Barbara, Caltanissetta (Sicily)

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 2881-2898
Author(s):  
Fabio Brighenti ◽  
Francesco Carnemolla ◽  
Danilo Messina ◽  
Giorgio De Guidi
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Mud Volcano ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Santa Barbara ◽  
Geological Processes ◽  
Deformation Processes

Abstract. Active geological processes often generate a ground surface response such as uplift, subsidence and faulting/fracturing. Nowadays remote sensing represents a key tool for the evaluation and monitoring of natural hazards. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in relation to observations of natural hazards encompasses three main stages: pre- and post-event data acquisition, monitoring, and risk assessment. The mud volcano of Santa Barbara (Municipality of Caltanissetta, Italy) represents a dangerous site because on 11 August 2008 a paroxysmal event caused serious damage to infrastructures within a range of about 2 km. The main precursors to mud volcano paroxysmal events are uplift and the development of structural features with dimensions ranging from centimeters to decimeters. Here we present a methodology for monitoring deformation processes that may be precursory to paroxysmal events at the Santa Barbara mud volcano. This methodology is based on (i) the data collection, (ii) the structure from motion (SfM) processing chain and (iii) the M3C2-PM algorithm for the comparison between point clouds and uncertainty analysis with a statistical approach. The objective of this methodology is to detect precursory activity by monitoring deformation processes with centimeter-scale precision and a temporal frequency of 1–2 months.

scholarly journals UAV survey method to Monitoring and analysing geological hazards: The Case study of mud volcano of Villaggio Santa Barbara, Caltanissetta (Sicily)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Brighenti ◽  
Francesco Carnemolla ◽  
Danilo Messina ◽  
Giorgio De Guidi
Keyword(s):  
Surface Deformation ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Mud Volcano ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Santa Barbara ◽  
Geological Processes ◽  
Paroxysmal Event ◽  
Deformation Processes

Abstract. All active geological processes determine effects on the soil due to different deformation processes: surface uplift and subsidence, shear lineaments with differential kinematics in relation to the source and the soils involved. Among all the active geological processes on Santa Barbara mud volcano (Caltanissetta town, Italy), represents a dangerous site because it caused, on 11 August 2008, a paroxysmal event, which determined severe damages to the infrastructures at around to 2 km the paroxysmal event. The remote sensing of surface deformation now represents a key tool for the evaluation and monitoring of the hazard. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in contexts of natural danger presents three main steps for risk assessment and monitoring: pre-post event data acquisition, emergency support and monitoring. Here we present a methodology for monitoring deformation processes that may be precursors of paroxysmal events on the Santa Barbara mud volcano. Among the precursors, the lifting and development of structural features are the most important, with dimensions ranging from centimetre to decimetre. Therefore in relation to the magnitudes of the phenomena involved, the objective of this work is (going from the acquisition phase, to the SfM processing chain and the use of the M3C2-PM algorithm for the comparison between point clouds and uncertainty analysis with a statistical approach) the monitoring of deformation processes, with centimetre precision and a temporal frequency of 1–2 months, as precursor indications of hazard.

scholarly journals Imaging ground surface deformations in post-disaster settings via small UAVs

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Ybañez ◽  
Audrei Anne B. Ybañez ◽  
Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. Lagmay ◽  
Mario A. Aurelio
Keyword(s):  
Surface Deformation ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Lateral Spreading ◽  
Fault Movement ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
3D Point Clouds ◽  
Vertical Displacements ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Post Disaster

AbstractSmall unmanned aerial vehicles have been seeing increased deployment in field surveys in recent years. Their portability, maneuverability, and high-resolution imaging are useful in mapping surface features that satellite- and plane-mounted imaging systems could not access. In this study, we develop and apply a workplan for implementing UAV surveys in post-disaster settings to optimize the flights for the needs of the scientific team and first responders. Three disasters caused by geophysical hazards and their associated surface deformation impacts were studied implementing this workplan and was optimized based on the target features and environmental conditions. An earthquake that caused lateral spreading and damaged houses and roads near riverine areas were observed in drone images to have lengths of up to 40 m and vertical displacements of 60 cm. Drone surveys captured 2D aerial raster images and 3D point clouds leading to the preservation of these features in soft-sedimentary ground which were found to be tilled over after only 3 months. The point cloud provided a stored 3D environment where further analysis of the mechanisms leading to these fissures is possible. In another earthquake-devastated locale, areas hypothesized to contain the suspected source fault zone necessitated low-altitude UAV imaging below the treeline capturing Riedel shears with centimetric accuracy that supported the existence of extensional surface deformation due to fault movement. In the aftermath of a phreatomagmatic eruption and the formation of sub-metric fissures in nearby towns, high-altitude flights allowed for the identification of the location and dominant NE–SW trend of these fissures suggesting horst-and-graben structures. The workplan implemented and refined during these deployments will prove useful in surveying other post-disaster settings around the world, optimizing data collection while minimizing risk to the drone and the drone operators.

scholarly journals INTEGRATING TOPOGRAPHIC, PHOTOGRAMMETRIC AND LASER SCANNING TECHNIQUES FOR A SCAN-TO-BIM PROCESS

2021 ◽  
Vol XLIII-B2-2021 ◽  
pp. 883-890
Author(s):  
M. Lo Brutto ◽  
E. Iuculano ◽  
P. Lo Giudice
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Building Information Modeling ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Parametric Modeling ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
The Real ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Heritage Building

Abstract. The preservation of historic buildings can often be particularly difficult due to the lack of detailed information about architectural features, construction details, etc.. However, in recent years considerable technological innovation in the field of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) has been achieved by the Building Information Modeling (BIM) process. BIM was developed as a methodology used mainly for new construction but, given its considerable potential, this approach can also be successfully used for existing buildings, especially for buildings of historical and architectural value. In this case, it is more properly referred to as Historic – or Heritage – Building Information Modeling (HBIM). In the HBIM process, it is essential to precede the parametric modeling phase of the building with a detailed 3D survey that allows the acquisition of all geometric information. This methodology, called Scan-to-BIM, involves the use of 3D survey techniques for the production of point clouds as a geometric “database” for parametric modeling. The Scan-to-BIM approach can have several issues relating to the complexity of the survey. The work aims to apply the Scan-to-BIM approach to the survey and modeling of a historical and architectural valuable building to test a survey method, based on integrating different techniques (topography, photogrammetry and laser scanning), that improves the data acquisition phase. The “Real Cantina Borbonica” (Cellar of Royal House of Bourbon) in Partinico (Sicily, Italy) was chosen as a case study. The work has allowed achieving the HBIM of the “Real Cantina Borbonica” and testing an approach based exclusively on a topographic constraint to merge in the same reference system all the survey data (laser scanner and photogrammetric point clouds).

scholarly journals Deformation Monitoring of Earth Fissure Hazards Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunfeng Ge ◽  
Huiming Tang ◽  
Xulong Gong ◽  
Binbin Zhao ◽  
Yi Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Vertical Displacement ◽  
Deformation Monitoring ◽  
Earth Fissure ◽  
Displacement Analysis ◽  
Remote Sensing Technique ◽  
Noise Data

Deformation monitoring is a powerful tool to understand the formation mechanism of earth fissure hazards, enabling the engineering and planning efforts to be more effective. To assess the evolution characteristics of the Yangshuli earth fissure hazard more completely, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), a remote sensing technique which is regarded as one of the most promising surveying technologies in geohazard monitoring, was employed to detect the changes to ground surfaces and buildings in small- and large-scales, respectively. Time-series of high-density point clouds were collected through 5 sequential scans from 2014 to 2017 and then pre-processing was performed to filter the noise data of point clouds. A tiny deformation was observed on both the scarp and the walls, based on the local displacement analysis. The relative height differences between the two sides of the scarp increase slowly from 0.169 m to 0.178 m, while no obvious inclining (the maximum tilt reaches just to 0.0023) happens on the two walls, based on tilt measurement. Meanwhile, global displacement analysis indicates that the overall settlement slowly increases for the ground surface, but the regions in the left side of scarp are characterized by a relatively larger vertical displacement than the right. Furthermore, the comparisons of monitoring results on the same measuring line are discussed in this study and TLS monitoring results have an acceptable consistency with the global positioning system (GPS) measurements. The case study shows that the TLS technique can provide an adequate solution in deformation monitoring of earth fissure hazards, with high effectiveness and applicability.

Automated extraction of ground surface along urban roads from mobile laser scanning point clouds

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Wu ◽  
Bailang Yu ◽  
Chang Huang ◽  
Qiusheng Wu ◽  
Jianping Wu
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Automated Extraction

scholarly journals Tectonic control on the distribution of onshore mud volcanoes in parts of the Upper Benue Trough, northeastern Nigeria.

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-45
Author(s):  
Ojochenemi K. Musa ◽  
Ewa E. Kurowska ◽  
Krzysztof Schoeneich ◽  
Solomon A. Alagbe ◽  
Jeremiah Ayok
Keyword(s):  
Structural Features ◽  
Fault Zones ◽  
Geological Mapping ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Mud Volcano ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Mud Volcanoes ◽  
Benue Trough ◽  
Clastic Rocks

Abstract Onshore mud volcanoes are rare geological phenomena, which in Nigeria were reported for the first time few years ago in the Upper Benue Trough. In this study a detail geological mapping of the area of mud volcanoes occurrence was carried out, with the primary aim of defining their relationship, if any, to the structural geology there. The systematic field reconnaissance included field observations of the structural features, as well as analysis of the location and distribution of the onshore mud volcanoes, marking their locations on the topographic and geological maps, analysis of the aerial photographs and satellite images. The study area covered the central part of the Upper Benue Trough where the onshore mud volcanoes were found. The study area is the part of a sedimentary basin comprising Cretaceous clastic rocks that have been deformed intensively by a network of faults often embedded in the underlying Precambrian basement. This network of faults underwent a rejuvenation period from the Aptian to the Palaeocene. The most prominent tectonic structure in the study area is the NE – SW trending Kaltungo Fault Zone, however, there are other minor faults with N – S and NW – SE trends. This study shows that the mud volcanoes found in the study area are usually located near or within fault zones, within the outcropping Upper Cretaceous Yolde Formation and Upper Bima Sandstone, both of which were deformed by the Kaltungo faults, as well as by other minor faults. Worldwide, incidences of onshore mud volcano formation are usually attributed to areas of tectonic activity, rapid sedimentation or hydrocarbon occurrence. In this study, the interpretation of the field observations and mapping results, combined with information on the structural evolution of the study area and seismic pattern (very scarce), have led to the conclusion that the location of onshore mud volcanoes in the Upper Benue Trough, being located along the fault zones, is structurally controlled. The close relationship between mud volcano location and the structural framework of the area may be interpreted as one of several possible subsurface geological responses to present tectonic activity.

Terrestrial laser scanning and structure-from-motion photogrammetry concordance analysis for describing the surface layer of gravel beds

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J Neverman ◽  
Ian C Fuller ◽  
Jon N Procter ◽  
Russell G Death
Keyword(s):  
Surface Layer ◽  
Structure From Motion ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Gravel Beds ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Sampling Biases

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and structure-from-motion photogrammetry (SfMp) offer rapid, non-invasive surveying of in situ gravels. Numerous studies have used the point clouds derived from TLS or SfMp to quantify surface layer characteristics, but direct comparison of the methods for grain-scale analysis has received relatively little attention to date. Comparing equivalent products of different data capture methods is critical as differences in errors and sampling biases between the two methods may produce different outputs, effecting further analysis. The sampling biases and errors related to SfMp and TLS lead to differences in the point clouds produced by each method. The metrics derived from the point clouds are therefore likely to differ, potentially leading to different inputs for entrainment threshold models, different trends in surface layer development being identified and different trajectories for physical processes and habitat quality being predicted. This paper provides a direct comparison between TLS and SfMp surveys of an exposed gravel bar for three different survey periods following inundation and reworking of the bar surface during high flow events. The point clouds derived from the two methods are used to describe changes in the character of the surface layer between bar inundation events, and comparisons are made with descriptions derived from conventional pebble counts. The results found differences in the metrics derived using each method do exist, but the grid resolution used to detrend the surfaces and identify spatial variations in surface layer characteristics had a greater impact than survey method. Further research is required to understand the significance of these variations for quantifying surface texture and structure and for predicting entrainment thresholds and transport rates.

scholarly journals Workflow: From photo-based 3-D reconstruction of remotely piloted aircraft images to a 3-D geological model

Geosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 1393-1408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reuben J. Hansman ◽  
Uwe Ring
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Geological Mapping ◽  
Geological Model ◽  
Geological Processes ◽  
Aerial Imaging ◽  
Remotely Piloted Aircraft

AbstractGeological field mapping is a vital first step in understanding geological processes. During the 20th century, mapping was revolutionized through advances in remote sensing technology. With the recent availability of low-cost remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), field geologists now routinely carry out aerial imaging without the need to use satellite, helicopter, or airplane systems. RPA photographs are processed by photo-based three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction software, which uses structure-from-motion and multi-view stereo algorithms to create an ultra-high-resolution, 3-D point cloud of a region or target outcrop. These point clouds are analyzed to extract the orientation of geological structures and strata, and are also used to create digital elevation models and photorealistic 3-D models. However, this technique has only recently been used for structural mapping. Here, we outline a workflow starting with RPA data acquisition, followed by photo-based 3-D reconstruction, and ending with a 3-D geological model. The Jabal Hafit anticline in the United Arab Emirates was selected to demonstrate this workflow. At this anticline, outcrop exposure is excellent and the terrain is challenging to navigate due to areas of high relief. This makes for an ideal RPA mapping site and provides a good indication of how practical this method may be for the field geologist. Results confirm that RPA photo-based 3-D reconstruction mapping is an accurate and cost-efficient remote sensing method for geological mapping.

scholarly journals An Entropy-Weighting Method for Efficient Power-Line Feature Evaluation and Extraction from LiDAR Point Clouds

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 3446
Author(s):  
Junxiang Tan ◽  
Haojie Zhao ◽  
Ronghao Yang ◽  
Hua Liu ◽  
Shaoda Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Precision ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Power Line ◽  
Power Lines ◽  
Lidar System ◽  
Weighting Method ◽  
Feature Evaluation ◽  
Vertical Range ◽  
3D Information

Power-line inspection is an important means to maintain the safety of power networks. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology can provide high-precision 3D information about power corridors for automated power-line inspection, so there are more and more utility companies relying on LiDAR systems instead of traditional manual operation. However, it is still a challenge to automatically detect power lines with high precision. To achieve efficient and accurate power-line extraction, this paper proposes an algorithm using entropy-weighting feature evaluation (EWFE), which is different from the existing hierarchical-multiple-rule evaluation of many geometric features. Six significant features are selected (Height above Ground Surface (HGS), Vertical Range Ratio (VRR), Horizontal Angle (HA), Surface Variation (SV), Linearity (LI) and Curvature Change (CC)), and then the features are combined to construct a vector for quantitative evaluation. The feature weights are determined by an entropy-weighting method (EWM) to achieve optimal distribution. The point clouds are filtered out by the HGS feature, which possesses the highest entropy value, and a portion of non-power-line points can be removed without loss of power-line points. The power lines are extracted by evaluation of the other five features. To decrease the interference from pylon points, this paper analyzes performance in different pylon situations and performs an adaptive weight transformation. We evaluate the EWFE method using four datasets with different transmission voltage scales captured by a light unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) LiDAR system and a mobile LiDAR system. Experimental results show that our method demonstrates efficient performance, while algorithm parameters remain consistent for the four datasets. The precision F value ranges from 98.4% to 99.7%, and the efficiency ranges from 0.9 million points/s to 5.2 million points/s.

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