In this talk Middlebury College Geology Professor Will Amidon will discuss a new technique to visualize landscapes using high-resolution topographic images of Earth’s surface. Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) collects data by firing a laser from an aircraft and using the reflection to estimate land surface elevation at a spatial resolution of roughly 1 m. Computer software is then used to create shaded relief renderings of the bare landscape as it would look without tree cover. These high-resolution topographic renderings offer a world of undiscovered and forgotten aspects of our landscape including glacial features, logging roads, stone walls, secret cliffs, hidden waterfalls, and more. This talk will present and interpret LiDAR imagery from popular locations such as the Robert Frost Trail, Rikert Ski Area, Catamount Trail, and Brandon Gap.
Will Amidon (BA, Carlton College; MSc, U.C. Santa Barbara; PhD, Caltech), associate professor of geology, teaches environmental geology, satellite remote sensing, plate tectonics, and geomorphology. Will grew up in Charlotte, Vermont, and graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 1997. His research focuses on developing techniques to date the age of rocks and sediment deposits.
