Characterization of intertidal geomorphology based on multi-scale analysis of airborne LiDAR data

Abstract

Coastal environments are influenced by geomorphic processes operating at different temporal and spatial scales (wave action, tides, vegetation, ice, tectonic changes Characterizing coastal environments often relies on the use of multi-scale analysis methods. However, these methods have been usually applied to coastal environments by intersecting them with a plane at a certain elevation, or by interpreting a coastline from aerial imagery, without specifying the selected elevation. This practice relies on the assumption that one studies a 3D self-similar isotropic system for which the results are independent of the elevation chosen. With the use of LiDAR derived Digital Elevation Models (DEM) the present study showed the elevation dependence of the results of multi-scale analysis on the Avon Estuary and subsections within it. The thesis also assessed the implications that interpolation methods have for multi-scale analysis and highlighted the importance of specifying the interpolation method used in such studies.