| article_content"> Everyone’s heard of | | | | can be calibrated to bounce back off different |
| RaDAR — the process of mapping a three | | | | densities of vapour, cloud particle, and so on. That |
| dimensional environment with radio waves | | | | means that the thinness of the air can be |
| — but what about LiDAR? The former is | | | | measured, which allows cartographers to generate |
| an acronym referring to the practice of Radio | | | | maps carrying huge amounts of atmospheric |
| Detection and Ranging, whereby radio waves are | | | | detail. Ultimately, LiDAR is capable of producing |
| bounced off objects and recorded as they return, | | | | maps that give impressive images both of real |
| enabling a cartographer or mapping instrument to | | | | ground topology (rather than treeline elevations or |
| build up a picture of an environment, including the | | | | building cover) and atmospheric characteristics. |
| distance between things and their relative heights. | | | | That makes the technology invaluable for scientific |
| LiDAR uses laser pulses to achieve the same | | | | and geologic mapping of an area — ideal, |
| objective: the difference being that Light | | | | for example, for companies who wish to enter |
| Detection and Ranging uses much shorter | | | | into building or excavation projects in a particular |
| wavelengths than its radio wave counterpart, | | | | location. In effect, the laser images of that |
| which means that smaller objects can be more | | | | location provide a previously impossible look at the |
| accurately mapped and elevations more | | | | basic geographic characteristics of the area |
| successfully delineated. | | | | — its rock strata, terrain configuration and |
| One of the most useful applications of LiDAR, in | | | | likely weather patterns. |
| the cartographic world, is its ability to return | | | | The technology has been adopted by civilian |
| detailed information on the face structure | | | | mapping companies, who are starting to create |
| of a terrain: which is to say, the actual contours | | | | incredibly detailed maps of UK cities using Light |
| of the ground beneath things like trees and plant | | | | Detection and Ranging equipment. Famously, UK |
| growth. LiDAR technology has been used | | | | cartography outfit Get Mapping has been using |
| extensively to accurately depict the location of | | | | LiDAR for several years now to map elevation |
| fault lines between tectonic plates — an | | | | for construction projects and environmental |
| immensely useful tactic for geographers trying to | | | | agencies. The Light Detection and Ranging |
| build working predictive structures that can | | | | equipment being used by civilian outfits is normally |
| provide early warning on possible earthquake | | | | shared from dedicated companies or Government |
| hotspots. The laser pulses (usually emitted from | | | | bodies who have the funding and expertise to run |
| aircraft carrying portable equipment) deliver | | | | the aircraft and equipment needed to make the |
| information that is cross referenced with GPS | | | | maps. |
| readouts to provide a comprehensive map of | | | | On an increasingly claustrophobic island, where |
| ground elevation and terrain. | | | | space is at a premium and new building projects |
| LiDAR is also capable of delivering intensive | | | | seem essential to house our people and bolster |
| atmospheric information — something its | | | | our economy, the technology represented by |
| radio wave counterpart is incapable of doing. | | | | Light Detection and Ranging is fast becoming |
| Because the laser pulses involved have a much | | | | indispensable. |
| shorter wavelength than RaDAR imaging, they | | | | |