Multi-Sensor Data For A Single View Geohazard Risk Assessment

Auracle offers a unique geohazard risk solution.

As a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite technology, Auracle's MUD® SAR (Mapped Underworld Dimension) detects ground movement and adds subsurface and underwater geospatial intelligence. This advanced SAR technology penetrates vegetation, snow, ice, soils and overburden to reveal subsurface geological structures, infrastructure, natural and man-made geohazards, voids, underground water courses and soil saturation down to 100m (300 ft.) The baseline model, including the subsurface and underwater, is used to detect and measure change and risk, down to 2mm/year accuracy.

MUD® SAR has the added capacity to combine multi-sensor and multi-resolution geospatial data into any geohazard risk assessment and monitoring program. It can be challenging to integrate dissimilar data bases when each engineer or operator has their own base map or uses a different data model. MUD® SAR integrates diverse spatial data into a common standard that is agreeable to all data users, across networks, companies, industry and government.

Fusing LiDAR and SAR data offers a powerful approach to enhance detection and measurement of ground and subsurface movement. However, because of differences in sensor geometry and data formats, it can be challenging to accurately align and process LiDAR and SAR data. A railway company asked Auracle to do that in order to help them better exploit their large collection of LiDAR data to detect and monitor geohazards in the steep embankments along their rail network. While LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and MUD® SAR (Mapped Underworld Dimension) play pivotal roles in detecting, modeling and tracking objects, differences in their underlying technology lead to variations in their capabilities and applications.

Principle of Operation: MUD® SAR uses microwave radar signals to create 3D images by bouncing signals off the Earth's surface. LiDAR uses laser pulses to measure distances and create highly detailed 3D maps.

Atmospheric Interaction: As a Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite MUD® SAR is unaffected by atmospheric conditions and works through cloud, rain, fog and snow. LiDAR primarily operates in clear conditions as it is highly sensitive to atmospheric interference.

Resolution: LiDAR is known for its high-spatial resolution, capturing fine surface details. MUD® SAR offers high-resolution surface, subsurface and underwater images: 1.6m x 1.6m square pixel size with Sentinel 1 SAR satellite data and 0.2m x 0.2 m square pixel size with RadarSat2.

Coverage: LiDAR is often used for localized and detailed mapping. MUD® SAR is suitable for large-scale area mapping and monitoring changes in small targets, over wide regions.

Weather and Day/Night Operation: MUD® SAR works in all weather conditions, day and night. LiDAR can be affected by adverse weather and operates in daylight.

Penetration: LiDAR has the capacity to capture surface data in vegetated areas like forests and grasslands. MUD® SAR is a deep penetrating satellite technology that penetrates deep vegetation, ice, sand, and overburden to reveal underlying geological structures, infrastructure, utilities, soil saturation, geohazards, water courses, and voids.

MUD® SAR plays a vital multi-sensor data integration role

The railway company had a vast collection of LiDAR data which provided high-resolution imagery of the terrain, structures and surroundings of its entire network. The company needed to maximize its investment to go beyond pinpointing asset locations to detect and monitor ground displacement around the track and surrounding steep embankments.

MUD® SAR geospatial technology fused the company's LiDAR into its SAR satellite data and transformed the once diverse datasets into one, comprehensive analytics package.

Taken along a complex section of track, LiDAR imagery was integrated into a MUD® SAR Change Detection Model which identified subsurface movement beside the track and up the steep embankments.

MUD® SAR formed a standard unified accuracy and precision, the highest level available between dissimilar sensor and instrument surveys. This means that measurements taken at any location along the rail network had the same accuracies and precision.

With MUD® SAR integrated multi-sensor and multi-resolution spatial data, the railway company had a single view of geohazard risks across their network. This space-based technology allowed the operator to use of all of its historic and diverse data to make faster, and more accurate data-driven risk management decisions and address the highest risks of critical failures.

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