Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Lake Tahoe Bottom Characteristics Extracted From Shoals Lidar Waveform Data And Compared To Backscatter Data From A Multibeam Echo Sounder, G. Elston, James V. Gardner

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

The waveforms recorded by airborne lidar bathymetry (ALB) systems are currently processed only for depth information. In addition to bathymetry, multibeam echo sounder (MBES) systems provide backscatter data in which regions of different acoustic properties are distinguishable. These regions can often be correlated to different bottom types. Initial attempts to extract equivalent data from the ALB waveforms have confirmed the expectation that such information is encoded in those waveforms. Water clarity, bathymetry, and bottom type control the detailed shapes of ALB waveforms in different ways. Specific features of a bottom-reflected signal can be identified, for example its rise-time and amplitude, …