LIDAR BASED SURFICIAL GEOLOGY MAPPING IN COMPARISON TO MORE TRADITIONAL METHODS IN THE HEAVILY VEGETATED APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS

Surficial geology mapping is both difficult and time consuming in the heavily vegetated steep terrain of the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. Given the increased importance of surficial maps, effective methods for mapping are essential in this difficult terrain. LiDAR-based mapping of surficial geology provides a very powerful tool for identifying the variety of surficial deposits and landforms in this diverse landscape. High-resolution LiDAR data and aerial photos were obtained by the Cannan Valley Institute for Horseshoe Run watershed in Tucker and Preston counties, West Virginia, via an Optech ALTM 3100 sensor, and an integrated 3 band digital camera. The LiDAR data allowed creation of a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with half meter resolution and better than 35 cm vertical accuracy. Hillshade, contour, and slope layers for the entire 144 km2 watershed were created using ArcGIS and a LiDAR derived DEM. From the created data layers, most notably the hillshade layer, surficial deposits and landforms were visible that would otherwise be indiscernible on tradition aerial photos, topographic maps, and 10 m DEMs. Traditional field mapping within this watershed is hindered by dense vegetative cover during spring and summer months, adverse weather in fall and winter, and steep rugged terrain. Preliminary remote identification of surficial deposits and landforms allowed for targeted field mapping that minimized time, effort, and expense in the field. Unique locations of importance to surficial mapping were identified in the LiDAR based data layers, and were then compared to more traditional formats such as topographic maps and aerial photos. This comparison clearly points to the great potential for LiDAR based mapping to supercede traditional field-intensive methods in this type of terrain.