Variations in volumetric erosion rates of bedrock cliffs on a small inaccessible coastal island determined using measurements by an unmanned aerial vehicle with structure-from-motion and terrestrial laser scanning

Abstract

Abstract We conducted topographic measurements using unmanned aerial vehicles and by terrestrial laser scanning at inaccessible sea cliffs with an overhanging complex shape in eastern Japan. From the repeated measurements, we constructed multitemporal three-dimensional point clouds of the sea cliffs to quantitatively evaluate the volumetric changes in the cliffs with a high spatial resolution (in centimeter). As potential main triggers of rockfalls and slope failures, high sea waves and strong earthquakes were examined with the time series of eroded volumes. It is suggested that sea waves have a greater impact than earthquakes on sea-cliff erosion. The approaches provided in this study have great potential for a wide range of applications including high spatial monitoring of other inaccessible, complex-shaped sea cliffs with high data accuracy and low acquisition and operational costs.

Keywords

• Unmanned aerial vehicle
• Terrestrial laser scanning
• Point cloud
• Sea cliffs
• Coastal erosion