This grant provides funding for a workshop to discuss research opportunities and the potential operation and management of a National Center for Airborne Laser Swath Mapping (ALSM). The workshop will be held on 25-26 April, 2003 in Gainesville. FL at the University of Florida Hotel and Conference Center and will bring together roughly 35-50 leading academic users of airborne laser ranging technology and their students.
ALSM allows for acquisition of very high resolution (5-10 cm vertical accuracy, 15-20 cm horizontal accuracy) digital elevation models (DEMs) of the earth's surface. High resolution DEMs provide crucial input for models of a multitude of fundamental surficial processes including hillslope soil creep, drainage network development, barrier beach dynamics, landslides, surface fault rupture, and glacial dynamics. Modern ALSM systems such as the one already owned by the University of Florida are also capable of mapping the vegetative canopy surface as well as the ground surface below the canopy. The workshop will foster future collaborations using ALSM and will improve plans to manage a National Center for ALSM. The accessibility of ALSM technology to a broad range of academic geo- and ecological scientists will initiate a revolution in our understanding of fundamental earth processes at scales relevant to the problem. An improved physical understanding of surficial processes is inherently societally relevant and should improve mitigation of natural hazards and lead to advances in resource management. ***
