One of the advantages of LIDAR topography data is the ability to “see through” vegetation so to speak. The light beams aren’t actually seeing through physical objects, but because of the high density of LIDAR pixels, some of the beams in a vegetated area see through the canopy to the ground surface. The vegetation can then be screened out of the data using post-processing. This kind of “bare earth” imagery was recently used by archaeologists in New England to locate “lost” settlements that dated back to the 18th century. [Source: Read more about this discovery and application of LIDAR imagery at National Geographic via ASCE SmartBrief. Image: National Geographic]
