Source: IE
Context: Scientists have detected a lost Mayan city, hidden for centuries by the dense Mexican jungle, using LiDAR.
About LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging):
- Definition: Remote sensing technology using pulsed laser light to measure distances and create 3D models of Earth’s surface.
- Components: Comprises a laser, scanner, and GPS receiver; usually mounted on aircraft for terrain mapping.
- Functioning: Pulsed laser light travels to the ground, reflecting off various features. The system calculates the two-way travel time of the light to measure distances and create elevation data.
- Data output: Initially produces a “point cloud” representing reflections from structures, vegetation, and terrain; refined to form high-resolution Digital Elevation Models.
- Applications: Used in geography, conservation, policy planning, and archaeology for detailed surface mapping, especially useful for exploring areas obscured by vegetation.
- Archaeological use: Enables archaeologists to survey large areas quickly, revealing structures hidden under dense foliage, as demonstrated in the discovery of the Maya city, Valeriana, in Mexico.
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