Field Work

The main goal of the CLaSH Summer School is to provide participants with innovative practical and methodological skills to characterize complex terrain and explore geomorphology by using close- and near-range remote sensing techniques. 

Thematic focus will be on mountain research, and will include:

• Environmental characterization

• Geomorphological monitoring 

• Natural hazard research

Technical focus will be given on sensor and data aspects, such as:

• Sensor modeling

• Calibration

• Data acquisition

• Structure from Motion (SfM)

• Lidar

• Data fusion

• Geometric methods for information extraction from point clouds and images

• Data quality assessment

Participants will work on a range of procedures from 2D analysis to lidar scanning, and 3D mapping to show all natural and anthropogenic features including location, size, height, and any changes in elevation. 

Theoretical focus will address critical steps within a processing chain, such as: 

• Impact of registration

• Choice of stand points during data acquisition

• Derivation of deformation vectors

• Issues related to image analysis and related challenges 

Practical exercises using predominantly open-source software, deepen the conveyed knowledge and help all participants establish a workflow for their research. The field site is located 11 miles from the CSU Mountain Campus as seen below.

The Area of Investigation will be surveyed with terrestrial and aerial platforms.