Abstract
For the monitoring of large landslides, total stations equipped with an Electronic Distance Meter (EDM) are widely used. To obtain the atmospheric parameters, required along the line of sight of every measure, the data collected by a weather station close to the instrument are usually adopted. Even after these corrections, the results obtained in the monitoring of areas with complex topography don’t reach the accuracies theoretically attainable by the high-end instruments. The article proposes a method for removing the errors due to the influence of microclimate on the measurements obtained by a high-end EDM, in order to get the maximum accuracy obtainable from such instruments. The method is based on an atmospheric model, set up by using the climatic data and a digital terrain model (DTM) of the landslide area. The methodology has been applied to a landslide in southern Italy. Over 38,000 distances, acquired for each monitored point, were used. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method: the standard deviations of the distances after their correction, show a reduction, ranging from 20% to 50%, with respect to the most diffused procedures; furthermore, the obtained accuracy equals the one declared by the manufacturer of the instrument for measurements in optimal conditions.
Highlights
The techniques of geomatics are widely used for monitoring landslides
The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method: the standard deviations of the distances after their correction, show a reduction, ranging from 20% to 50%, with respect to the most diffused procedures; the obtained accuracy equals the one declared by the manufacturer of the instrument for measurements in optimal conditions
The method is based on the realization of an atmospheric model by using climatic data and the digital terrain model (DTM) of the landslide area
Summary
The techniques of geomatics are widely used for monitoring landslides. The monitoring involves the points inside the whole body and along the crown and the flanks of the landslide. It is in general extended to the structures situated near the crown and the ridges, and it is performed by using areal and punctual sensors. The most commonly used is the terrestrial laser scanner [1,2,3]; Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry is used both from satellites [4] and from the ground [5]. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) receivers have been used for several years and recent applications use low-end instruments [6]. Low cost sensors, based on the measurements of position and tilt, are often used for activating early warning procedures [7]
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