This is a past event.

Robert Kayen
Research Civil Engineer
US Geological Survey
Menlo Park, California
Adjunct Faculty
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
University of California, Los Angeles

Geo-engineering and earth science investigations landslide slope movement; earthquake-ground deformation; erosion and accretion of soil; and topographic change detection require geodetic metrics of surface deformation. Recent advances in non-invasive surface imaging using laser-based Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) allow for the rapid mapping of complex surfaces. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is advancing the technology and methodology of ground- and airborne-based LIDAR in order to create ultra-high resolution digital terrain models. The power of LIDAR technology for geo-engineering and the geo-sciences is the ability to rapidly capture the extremely high detail of failure morphologies; to analyze them from perspectives and orientations not previously possible; and to permanently archive them for the research community.