Application of high-resolution LiDAR data for hydrogeological investigations

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems measure surface properties at high resolution, including ground surface elevation, and vegetation height and density. As well as having routine application in studies of surface hydrology, vegetation, ecology, infrastructure and hazard assessments, LiDAR is important in groundwater studies as it can help characterise and inform hydrogeological architecture, recharge and discharge processes, surface water–groundwater connectivity, and groundwater-dependent ecosystems. LiDAR-based high-resolution elevation data support surface and subsurface mapping, borehole data analysis, and the processing, calibration and interpretation of geophysics and remote sensing. Here, we describe several applications of airborne LiDAR to understanding groundwater systems in two case study areas in northern Australia: the East Kimberley area in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and the Upper Burdekin area in Queensland. The East Kimberley LiDAR data were critical to mapping geomorphology and near-surface hydrostratigraphy, which informed our understanding of recharge processes. The Upper Burdekin LiDAR data enabled the mapping of key surface features such as lava flows and rootless cones, which can act as recharge pathways. Citation: Halas, L., Kilgour, P., Gow, L. and Haiblen, A., 2020. Application of high-resolution LiDAR data for hydrogeological investigations. In: Czarnota, K., Roach, I., Abbott, S., Haynes, M., Kositcin, N., Ray, A. and Slatter, E. (eds.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 1–4.