Use of laser bathymetry at the German Baltic Sea coast

The German coastal waters are quite shallow. The idea arose to use airborne laser bathymetry (ALB) for hydrographic surveying of near-shore areas of the German Baltic Sea. Since these waters are relatively turbid, it became necessary to investigate to what extent modern ALB systems could be of practical use in an area large enough for hydrographic purposes especially in the Baltic Sea. The basic questions to be answered by the project were: Which areas can be measured by this method? And how expensive will this be in relation to traditional methods? From 2012 to 2014, four test surveys have been accomplished in an area north of the city of Wismar. During these surveys, many relevant questions were solved.

ALB | laser bathymetry | Baltic Sea | Secchi depth