Volcano Watch – First light and flight for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s (HVO) new RIEGL airborne LiDAR system

LiDAR has become a trusted source of precise and highly detailed data that is used to study morphologic changes and predict the paths of lava flows during eruptions.

With funding provided by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act in 2019, HVO added a RIEGL VUX-120 aerial sensor to their toolbox and partnered with The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo’s Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization (SDAV) Lab in the creation of a template design. HVO also collaborated with the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) for training due to their familiarity with RIEGL LiDAR systems.

The system successfully completed a ground test at HVO’s warehouse in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on September 2, followed by its first flight aboard the contracted helicopter on September 5. For the first flight, HVO decided to survey the vicinity of the June 3 Kilauea Southwest Rift Zone eruption.

The RIEGL VUX-120 will provide HVO with more definitive datasets for its slightly longer-duration surveys (not possible during the recent, brief Kilauea East Rift Zone eruption). It is believed that this is the only helicopter-mounted LiDAR system being operated by the USGS and there are opportunities to use it elsewhere in support of hazard assessments and scientific research.

The RIEGL VUX-120 will provide HVO with more definitive datasets for its slightly longer-duration surveys (not possible during the recent, brief Kilauea East Rift Zone eruption). It is believed that this is the only helicopter-mounted LiDAR system being operated by the USGS and there are opportunities to use it elsewhere in support of hazard assessments and scientific research.

Read the full article: Volcano Watch: First light (and flight) for HVO’s new airborne lidar system – Hawaii Tribune-Herald

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