Glukhov V.A., Goldin Yu.A., Rodionov M.A., Gureev B.A., Glitko O.V.
Airborne lidar bathymetry survey of Bechevinsky Bay is distinguished by difficult flight conditions (the narrow bay is surrounded by high hills). The flight altitude of the aircraft during survey varied within the range of 500 to 1200 m. The survey was performed using the Airborne Polarization Lidar APL-3 (probe pulse energy is 40 mJ, duration of probe pulse 7 ns, diameter of the receiving optical system is 100 mm). The maximum depth of sounding of the bottom from altitude of 500 m was 21.5 m, from altitude of 1200 m – 17.5 m. The energy of the probe pulse required to obtain bottom return from different altitudes is estimated. It is necessary to increase the pulse energy by 20 times to locate the bottom of 25 m depth from a safe for flying altitude of 2500 m. An increase of survey flight altitude from 200 m to 2500 m under these conditions for obtain bottom return at a depth of 25 m requires a 150-fold increase of the pulse energy.
