This paper introduces a comprehensive protocol leveraging open-access techniques to create small- to medium-scale 3D representations of the environment by using iPhone and iPad light detection and ranging (LiDAR). The protocol focuses on two capabilities of the iPhone LiDAR. The first capability is 3D modeling: iPhone LiDAR rapidly generates detailed indoor and outdoor 3D models, providing insights into object size, volume and geometry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTraditionally, topographic surveying in earth sciences requires high financial investments, elaborate logistics, complicated training of staff and extensive data processing. Recently, off-the-shelf drones with optical sensors already reduced the costs for obtaining a high-resolution dataset of an Earth surface considerably. Nevertheless, costs and complexity associated with topographic surveying are still high.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoil erosion represents one of the most important processes of land degradation in the world and is considered a serious threat to the provision of food supply, to human health and to terrestrial ecosystems. In Europe, soil erosion by water and tillage is responsible for the loss of fertile topsoil and therefore productive land. Under Global Change scenarios climate and land use are expected to impact soil loss and sediment discharge rates distinctly in contrasting climatic regions, further influenced by tillage practices.
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