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Automated quantification of distributed landslide movement using circular tree trunks extracted from terrestrial laser scan data

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Title Automated quantification of distributed landslide movement using circular tree trunks extracted from terrestrial laser scan data
Names Conner, Jeremy C. (creator)
Olsen, Michael J. (creator)
Date Issued 2014-06 (iso8601)
Note To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/computers-and-geosciences/.
Abstract This manuscript presents a novel algorithm to automatically detect landslide movement in a forested area
using displacements of tree trunks distributed across the landslide surveyed repeatedly using terrestrial laser
scanning (TLS). Common landslide monitoring techniques include: inclinometers, global position system (GPS),
and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR). While these techniques provide valuable data for
monitoring landslides, they can be difficult to apply with adequate spatial or temporal resolution needed to
understand complex landslides, specifically in forested environments. Comparison of the center coordinates
(determined via least-squares fit of the TLS data) of a cross section of the tree trunk between consecutive
surveys enable quantification of landslide movement rates, which can be used to analyze patterns of landslide
displacement. The capabilities of this new methodology were tested through a case-study analyzing the
Johnson Creek Landslide, a complex, quick moving coastal landslide, which has proven difficult to monitor
using other techniques. A parametric analysis of fitting thresholds was also conducted to determine the
reliability of tree trunk displacements calculated and the number of features that were extracted. The optimal
parameters in selecting trees for movement analysis were found to be less than 1.5 cm for the RMS residuals of
the circle fit and less than 1.0 cm for the difference in the calculated tree radii between epochs.
Genre Article
Topic Laser scanning
Identifier Conner, J. C., & Olsen, M. J. (2014). Automated quantification of distributed landslide movement using circular tree trunks extracted from terrestrial laser scan data. Computers & Geosciences, 67, 31-39. doi:10.1016/j.cageo.2014.02.007

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