Applying close range digital photogrammetry in soil erosion studies

Peter Heng, B.C., Chandler, J.H. and Armstrong, A. (2010) Applying close range digital photogrammetry in soil erosion studies. Photogrammetric Record, 25(131), pp. 240-265. (doi: 10.1111/j.1477-9730.2010.00584.x)

Abstract

Soil erosion due to rainfall and overland flow is a significant environmental problem. Studying the phenomenon requires accurate high-resolution measurements of soil surface topography and morphology. Close range digital photogrammetry with an oblique convergent configuration is proposed in this paper as a useful technique for such measurements, in the context of a flume-scale experimental study. The precision of the technique is assessed by comparing triangulation solutions and the resulting DEMs with varying tie point distributions and control point measurements, as well as by comparing DEMs extracted from different images of the same surface. Independent measurements were acquired using a terrestrial laser scanner for comparison with a DEM derived from photogrammetry. The results point to the need for a stronger geometric configuration to improve precision. They also suggest that the camera lens models were not fully adequate for the large object depths in this study. Nevertheless, the photogrammetric output can provide useful topographical information for soil erosion studies, provided limitations of the technique are duly considered.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Armstrong, Dr Alona
• Authors: Peter Heng, B.C., Chandler, J.H., and Armstrong, A.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
• Journal Name: Photogrammetric Record
• ISSN: 0031-868X
• ISSN (Online): 1477-9730
• Published Online: 15 September 2010