Glacial geomorphological mapping of Coire Mhic Fhearchair, NW Scotland: The contribution of a high-resolution ground based LiDAR survey

Abstract

Terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging (tLiDAR) surveys are valuable supplements to existing geomorphological mapping techniques, providing information which is of considerable interest to palaeoclimatologists and glaciologists. Fieldwork observations, and the interpretation of aerial photographs and digital elevation models, have been augmented by the study of 3D digital models produced from tLiDAR data, and have led to the production of a detailed geomorphological map at a scale of 1:10,000. A 2 km2 study was carried out in Coire Mhic Fhearchair (NW Scotland), a cirque landform which was covered by an ice-sheet at the Last Glacial Maximum, and experienced localised ice ow during subsequent deglaciation and readvances. The combined map includes glacial (moraines, striae, and depositional lineations) and paraglacial features (debris fans) which have been observed using some or all of the above methods. In addition to this, tLiDAR has been used in conjunction with colour photography to provide a ‘virtual reality’ observational tool at resolutions of up to 50 mm, with great potential for the detailed study of glacial geomorphology on the sub-km scale.