Experience of using non‐specialized unmanned aerial vehicles for aerial surveys in the studies of exogenous geological processes

A. A. Yuriev,A. A. Rybchenko,A. V. Kadetova,E. A. Kozyreva

doi:10.5800/gt-2019-10-4-0457

Abstract

The article reviews the experience of aerial surveys using a quadcopter DJI Inspire 1 PRO (unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV) for solving problems of engineering geodynamics. It describes the application of photogrammetry to estimate quantitative parameters of the studied objects, the experience of using UAVs to study flood processes in the Tunka valley (Russia) and erosion structures in the Ulaanbaatar agglomeration (Mongolia). The first UAV‐acquired data on debris flow alluvial fans and elementary drainage basins of erosion structures are presented. The ranges of UAV flight heights were 100–150 m and 1–30 m for local and detailed aerial photography surveys, respectively. Local surveys covered relatively large objects – debris flow alluvial fans and drainage basins. Detailed aerial photography aimed to investigate the granulometric compositions of debris flow deposits and to construct transverse profiles of erosion structures. Processed aerial photos provided a basis for a schematic map showing the distribution of accumu‐ lated debris flow deposits. The granulometric compositions of coarse fractions in the debris flow deposits were de‐ termined. Based on the survey results, 3D models of the fragments of the erosion structures and their cross‐sections were constructed.

Highlights

The use of photography to prepare topographic maps was extensively investigated by Aime Laussedat, a French topographer
We present the results of photogram‐ metry surveys carried out using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to study exoge‐ nous geological processes in East Siberia (Russia) and Mongolia, on the Tunka Ridge sites and in the vicinity of Ulaanbaatar (Fig. 1)
The UAV was used in the field surveys of the debris flows near the Arshan village (Tunka Ridge, Russia) and erosion processes in the Ulaanbaatar agglomera‐ tion (Mongolia)

Summary

Introduction

The use of photography to prepare topographic maps was extensively investigated by Aime Laussedat, a French topographer. In 1852, he prepared several maps using photographs taken from balloons. In 1858, the first aerial photography session using balloons was carried out Gaspard‐Félix Tournachon, a French pho‐ tographer known by the pseudonym Nadar [Krasno‐ pevtsev, 2008]. Photogrammetry – a reliable method for remote ex‐ ploration of the Earth surface on the basis of measure‐ ments from photographs – has progressed and deve‐ loped dramatically since 1960s when space imagery was introduced in geological, geomorphological, topo‐ graphic and other studies [Gonin, 1980]. Aerial photo geodetic surveys are widely used for investigating new territories, discovery and development of mineral de‐ posits, reconnaissance studies prior to design and con‐ struction of roads, highways and other industrial facili‐

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