ABSTRACT
We conducted a pilot study in the Prudhoe Bay area on the coastal plain of the Alaskan North Slope in August 2012 using an airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and imaging system to rapidly map topographic and bathymetric features relevant to wetland distribution in this Arctic tundra and permafrost-dominated landscape. The airborne system combines a high-pulse-rate, near-infrared laser that is used to map topography and a green laser that penetrates water of reasonable clarity to map bathymetry to depths beyond 10 m under ideal conditions. Using data acquired during the 2012 survey, we are exploring how best to apply this multisensor instrument to environmental mapping in permafrost-dominated terrain north of the Arctic Circle.
