Applying a Hand-Held Laser Scanner to Monitoring Gully Erosion: Workflow and Evaluation

Detailed understanding of gully erosion processes is essential for monitoring remediation and requires fine-scale monitoring. Hand-held laser scanning systems (HLS) enable rapid ground-based data acquisition at centimeter precision ranges 10–100 m. This study quantified errors in measuring morphology over a four year period using two models HLS. Reference datasets were provided by Real-Time-Kinematic (RTK) GPS RIEGL Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS). The site was representative linear gullies that occur extensively on hillslopes throughout Great Barrier Reef catchments, where the dominant source fine sediment. RMSE error against RTK survey points varied 0.058–0.097 m five annual scans. HLS found to measure headcut extension within 0.035 RTK. was, average, 6% TLS morphological metrics depth, area volume. Volumetric change 60 length years estimated 23% TLS. Errors could potentially be improved times with lower ground vegetation cover. similar levels relatively more than change.