Toward geomorphic mapping of reef habitat by laser altimeter on ICESat-2 Satellite

Abstract

The main objectives of Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) are to quantify the change of ice sheets, sea ice, and their behavior. It uses precise laser measurements of surface elevation to achieve the goals. Using 532 nm laser pulse, ICESat-2 has been providing other data of Earth System components as well such as vegetation canopy height, land height, and nearshore bathymetry. This study aims were to investigate the potential use of laser photon data of ICESat-2 for geomorphic mapping and reef rugosity indication. About eight tracks of data photon of Kapoposang island and four tracks of Kodingarenglompo were investigated to indicate the existence of coral reef and its geomorphic zone. The results show that the photon’s depth for Kapoposang island is easier to interpret than Kadingarenglompo due to the clarity of the water column. The deepest depth photon achieves for Kapoposang reef was up to 17 meters while at Kodingarenglompo just about 6 meters. The depth photon variability at reef area is significantly different from sand and submerged vegetation area. The depth dan slope variability are easy to detect using this lidar altimetry which in turn very helpful on classifying the geomorphic zone of reef habitat. Hence these results may lead to study more about the use of ICESat-2 data for reef habitat mapping.