Association of elevation error with surface type, vegetation class and data origin in discrete-returns Airborne LiDAR

Coveney, S. (2013) Association of elevation error with surface type, vegetation class and data origin in discrete-returns Airborne LiDAR. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 27(3), pp. 467-483. (doi: 10.1080/13658816.2012.695794)

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Abstract

Airborne LiDAR data are now commonly regarded as the most accurate source of elevation data for medium-scale topographical modelling applications. However, quoted LiDAR elevation error may not necessarily represent the actual errors occurring across all surfaces, potentially impacting the reliability of derived predictions in GIS. The extent to which LiDAR elevation error varies in association with land cover, vegetation class and LiDAR data source is quantified relative to dual-frequency GPS survey data captured in a 400 hectare area in Ireland where four separate classes of LiDAR point data overlap. Quoted elevation errors are found to correspond closely with the minimum recommended ASPRS requirement for the definition of 95% error in urban areas only. Global elevation errors are found to be up to 5 times quoted error, and errors within vegetation areas are found to be even larger, with errors in individual vegetation classes reaching up to 15 times quoted error. Furthermore, a strong skew is noted in vegetated areas within all the LiDAR data sets tested, pushing errors in some cases to more than 25 times quoted error. The skew observed suggests that an assumption of a normal error distribution is inappropriate in vegetated areas. The physical parameters that were found to affect elevation error most fundamentally were canopy depth, canopy density and granularity. Other factors observed to affect the degree to which actual errors deviate from quoted error included the primary use for which the data were acquired, and the processing applied by data suppliers to meet these requirements.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Coveney, Dr Seamus
Authors: Coveney, S.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences > Geography
Journal Name:International Journal of Geographical Information Science
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd.
ISSN:1365-8816
Published Online:09 July 2012

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