First flight for HVO's new airborne Lidar system
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First flight for HVO's new airborne Lidar system

Last month, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) conducted the first airborne survey with its own Lidar system. This new addition to HVO's equipment will enable more frequent and detailed topographic surveys than ever before.

For decades, topographic mapping has played a crucial role in monitoring volcanic activity, enabling scientists to track changes in landscape and anticipate lava flow paths during eruptions. Lidar technology has emerged as the go-to tool for this task, and now HVO is equipped with its own Lidar system, allowing for more frequent and detailed mapping than ever before. HVO geologist/GIS specialist Mike Zoeller shared the news in his article in Volcano Watch, a weekly roundup of activities written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates.

High-end Lidar systems are complex and costly, so topographic surveys on the Island of Hawaiʻi were often limited by funding and collaborations. That changed with the passage of the 2019 Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, which provided funds for HVO to acquire a RIEGL VUX-120 airborne Lidar system following Kīlauea’s 2018 eruption.

The system arrived in November 2022, but it required a custom helicopter mount and integration with control systems. With help from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s SDAV Lab and CRREL, the setup was completed by August 2023.

In September this year, after successful tests, HVO conducted its first Lidar survey, capturing high-density data of the June 2024 Kīlauea Southwest Rift Zone eruption. While HVO still relies on photographic surveys for rapid-response mapping, the VUX-120 allows for detailed, high-accuracy data when time permits. This is the only helicopter-mounted Lidar system operated by USGS, presenting opportunities for broader applications in hazard assessments and research.

Read Mike Zoeller's full story here

HVO’s RIEGL VUX-120 aerial Lidar system mounted to the belly of a contracted helicopter just before the 5 September test flight. (Photo by D. Filiano, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
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