From Drone Flying to DEM Production

I visited our project collaborator Prof. Darrel Maddy of Newcastle University to train myself for drone flying and workflow management for DEM production from aerial photography this month. High-resolution DEMs will enable us to recognise the dimension of gullies, valleys, and relief difference with more accuracy in relation to developing the first detailed geochronological data set of the Kula badlands. Using the DEM, I will also work on calculating erosion rates of individual sediment transport environments, and generating the palaeo topography with stratigraphy systematically combined with age control obtained from the dating techniques (e.g. OSL).

Our collaboration has been quite productive and challenging at the same time! We managed to test the accuracy and reliability of DJI drone with several days of training in an empty field in Prudhoe, west of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Here are some impression from the two-week training.