The Coffs Harbour region of Australia has begun using LiDAR in an aerial survey to create maps not just of cities, but also of the surrounding environment and its change over time.

LiDAR, as most techno-geeks may be able to tell you, is tangentially related to RADAR, and is an acronym for “Light Detection And Ranging.” The concept is simple– a laser is fired at a target, and the time and distortion of the returning signal reveals the range to, and composition of, the substance that reflected the light. In Coffs Harbour, this is allowing aerial surveyors to create charts at a higher resolution than photographs would have, and to gather crucial conservation data at the same time.

Reflected Lasers From 30,000 Feet Are Better Than Pictures?

The best feature of LiDAR is that it combines elements of the visual spectrum with an ability to detect differences in composition that would escape the naked eye. This is especially relevant because part of the goal of the Coffs Harbour government is to track changes in the vegetation and waterways–something greatly aided by an ability to look below the vegetation canopy and detect subsurface soil and water composition and quality. This represents a quantum leap since 2000, when the region was aerially photographed, and any follow-up surveying had to be undertaken by land. The rough grade of improvement? In the past, the maps issued had 10-meter contours. The 2008 edition will have 50-centimeter contours.

This Sounds Awesome! What Else Can It Do?

Oddly for something that’s now doing so much environmental good, but not for something that’s contributed so much to accurate maps (we’re talking about you, GPS), the military has used LiDAR to kill things for years. It’s also found peaceful uses, however–geologists, orienteering enthusiasts, NASA’s Mars Orbiter, and, yes, the highway patrol, are all making use of the same technology that’s saving the planet in the Southern Hemisphere.

Read more:

Hightech Tool Gives Detailed Mapping Data (Coffs Coast Independent)
LIDAR (Wikipedia)