Impact of flight altitude and cover orientation on Digital Surface Model (DSM) accuracy for flood damage assessment in Murcia (Spain) using a fixed-wing UAV

• DOI: 10.1007/s12145-019-00427-7
• Publication Date: 2020-01-14T23:02:35Z
• Authors: Niels Anders; Mike Smith; Juha Suomalainen; Erik Cammeraat; João Valente; Saskia Keesstra
• Keywords: Orthophoto

Abstract Soil erosion, rapid geomorphological change and vegetation degradation are major threats to the human natural environment. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) can be used as tools provide detailed accurate estimations of landscape change. The effect flight strategy on accuracy UAS image data products, typically a digital surface model (DSM) orthophoto, is unknown. Herein different flying altitudes (126-235 m) area coverage orientations (N-S SW-NE) assessed in semi-arid medium-relief where terraced abandoned agricultural fields heavily damaged by piping gully erosion. assessment was with respect cell size, vertical horizontal accuracy, absolute difference DSM, registration recognizable features. results show increasing size (5-9 cm) altitude, differences between elevation values (10-20 for directions. Vertical ranged 4-7 cm but showed no clear relationship strategy, whilst error stable (2-4 orthophotos. In all sets, features such channels, rills gullies patches could labeled technician. Finally, datasets have been released public repository.