UAV Applications
UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), or drones, have become valuable tools in geology, offering high-resolution data collection for various applications. They are used for tasks like surveying, mapping, monitoring geological hazards, and assisting in mineral exploration. UAVs provide a cost-effective and efficient way to gather data in challenging or inaccessible terrains.
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UAVs equipped with cameras and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology can create detailed 3D models DSM (Digital Surface Models) and maps of the Earth's surface.
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UAVs play a vital role in monitoring geological hazards like landslides, erosion, and volcanic activity.
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They can be used to repeatedly survey areas prone to erosion, like coastal cliffs, to monitor changes over time.
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They can also be used for environmental monitoring around mining sites.
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UAVs are used to map geological formations, including faults, folds, and rock outcrops.
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UAVs can access remote and hazardous areas where traditional surveying methods are difficult or impossible.
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They reduce the need for human presence in dangerous locations, enhancing personnel safety.
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UAV data can be integrated with other data sources, such as ground-based sensors and satellite imagery, to create comprehensive datasets.
Except from photogrammetric methods, nowadays small geophysical instruments and sensors are also mounted on-board drones. UAV ground penetrating Radar and drone-magnetometers enable the underground survey.