Le LiDAR : vers une meilleure connaissance des paysages du karst

Abstract

When talking about water landscapes, rivers, coastlines or wetlands come to mind. However, apart from these “open” landscapes, there is a landscape that is often forgotten, that of the karst landscape shaped by the erosive action of water. This landscape is little known and not very visible since it is often underground or covered by forest vegetation. This lack of knowledge, and particularly the lack of knowledge of the ordinary open-air karst, leads to it being neglected by elected representatives and urban planners. For a long time, knowledge of this landscape involved major field studies which were complex and lacked exhaustivity because of natural obstacles. The advent of new tools, such as Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) equipment, has changed the situation. It makes it possible to expose the karst and accurately visualise the contours of the surface, thus making it easier to understand this landscape. Karst surface contours, which present major challenges, are fundamental in understanding landscape formation.

Keywords

• karst
• water landscape
• LiDAR
• surface forms
• underground cavities