Lidar at GSA 2011 Meeting

Jul 24, 2011

The Geological Society of America annual meeting abstract deadline of July 26th, 2011 is fast approaching. Below are sessions and short courses at the GSA 2011 meeting in Minneapolis that will focus on lidar data in the Earth sciences:

Topical Sessions:

    T114. Measuring the True Shape of the Earth: Quantitative and Qualitative Applications of Terrestrial LiDAR
    GSA Archaeological Geology Division; GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division; GSA Geoinformatics Division; GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division; GSA Environmental and Engineering Geology Division
    Ian P. Madin, Donald E. Luman

    This session will focus on new efforts and approaches to extracting quantitative and qualitative geologic and environmental features from terrestrial LiDAR data.

    Engineering Geology; Environmental Geoscience; Geomorphology

    T149. Virtual Reality in Geoscience Education (Digital Posters)
    GSA Geoscience Education Division; GSA Geoscience Education Division; GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division; GSA Geoinformatics Division; GSA Planetary Geology Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers; Google Inc.; Oxford University Press; Minnesota Planetarium Society
    Declan G. De Paor, Steven J. Whitmeyer, John E. Bailey

    Showcase your geo-visualizations using the medium of the future - the digital poster session. Presenters will hook up their own PC/Mac laptops to one of 20 flat screens.
    This session covers virtual reality in formal and informal geoscience education at all levels: Google Earth, OmniGlobe, LiDAR, GigaPan, full-dome digital planetaria, caves, and resources for handheld devices, such as iPads and smart phones.

    Geoscience Education; Geoinformatics; Structural Geology

    T197. Seeing the True Shape of Earth: Quantitative and Qualitative Applications of Airborne Lidar
    GSA Archaeological Geology Division; GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division; GSA Geoinformatics Division; GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division; GSA Environmental and Engineering Geology Division
    Ian P. Madin, D.E. Luman

    This session will focus on new efforts and approaches to extract quantitative and qualitative geologic and environmental features from terrestrial and airborne LiDAR data.

    Geoinformatics; Remote Sensing/Geographic Info System; Quaternary Geology

Short Courses:

    510. Terrestrial Laser Scanning (Ground-Based LiDAR) Methods and Applications in Geologic Research and Education.
    Sat., 8 Oct., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
    $33; includes lunch. Limit: 20. CEU: 0.9.
    Cosponsor: UNAVCO.
    David Phillips, UNAVCO; John Oldow, Univ. of Texas at Dallas; Carlos Aiken, Univ. of Texas at Dallas.

    This course will present terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), also known as ground-based LiDAR, workflows and best practices for the acquisition and processing of TLS data; an overview of various TLS platforms; and examples of science and education applications. This one-day workshop will consist of lectures and hands-on application of TLS equipment and data processing. TLS provides very high-resolution images over relatively small areas, is relatively inexpensive to acquire and has been used successfully to support a wide range of geoscience investigations, from outcrop mapping to deformation monitoring. Limited financial support is available for students.

    514. Introduction to the Acquisition, Visualization, and Interpretation of Airborne LiDAR Data.
    Sat., 8 Oct., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
    $110. Limit: 30. CEU: 0.9.
    Cosponsors: OpenTopography; GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division; GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division; GSA Environmental and Engineering Geology Division; GSA Geoinformatics Divisions.
    Ian Madin, Oregon Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries; Chris Crosby, Univ. of California at San Diego.

    This course provides and introduction to the acquisition and use of airborne LiDAR data. It covers LiDAR collection fundamentals, how to contract for good data, where to find data and tools, how to visualize point and grid data, and how to do simple feature extraction from LiDAR-derived DEMs. The course will use ESRI ArcGIS and USFS Fusion software, and each student will have a dedicated workstation and real world data to use in hands-on exercises.