Synergistic image and point cloud processing of UAV data for urban flood modeling: point cloud smart thinning and curb mapping

The present study offers a unique, nested, high-resolution dataset that captures soil surface changes every 20 seconds during rainfall events, as well as over seasonal variations, across a range of spatial scales – plot, slope, and catchment. It was collected over a period of 3.5 years and facilitated by a camera-based approach. This open-access resource assists scientists in evaluating and refining existing models, improving process understanding, and training artificial intelligence.

This study presents a low-cost, automated system for monitoring river water levels using cameras and AI. By combining AI-based image analysis with photogrammetry, it accurately measures water levels in real-time, even in challenging conditions. Tested over 2.5 years at four sites, it achieved high accuracy (errors of 1.0–2.3 cm) and processed over 219 000 images. Its resilience makes it ideal for flood detection and water management in remote areas.

Soil erosion threatens landscapes worldwide, and understanding how surfaces change over time is key to addressing this issue. We developed a new camera-based system that automatically captures and analyzes daily surface changes on a hillside over several years. Triggered by rain and a clock, the system showed how weather and farming impact the land. Our method offers a powerful way to monitor surface changes and can help improve predictions and solutions for soil erosion.

This study presents a novel AI-based method for tracking and analysing the movement of rock glaciers and landslides, key landforms in high mountain regions. By utilising time-lapse images, our approach generates detailed velocity data, uncovering movement patterns often missed by traditional methods. This cost-effective tool enhances geohazard monitoring, providing insights into environmental drivers, improving process understanding, and contributing to better safety in alpine areas.

This study develops a new method to improve the calibration and evaluation of models that predict soil erosion by water. By using advanced imaging techniques, we can capture detailed changes in the soil surface over time. This helps improve models that forecast erosion, especially as climate change creates new and unpredictable conditions. Our findings highlight the need for more precise tools to better model erosion of our land and environment in the future.

Low-cost sensors could fill gaps in existing observation networks. To ensure data quality, the quality of the factory calibration of a given sensor has to be evaluated if the sensor is used out of the box. Here, the factory calibration of a widely used low-cost rain gauge type has been tested both in the lab (66) and in the field (20). The results of the study suggest that the calibration of this particular type should at least be checked for every sensor before being used.

We present cost-effective photogrammetric systems for high-resolution rockfall monitoring. The paper outlines the components, assembly, and programming codes required. The systems utilize prime cameras to generate 3D models and offer comparable performance to lidar for change detection monitoring. Real-world applications highlight their potential in geohazard monitoring which enables accurate detection of pre-failure deformation and rockfalls with a high temporal resolution.

The rise of new technologies such as drones (unmanned aerial systems – UASs) has allowed widespread use of image velocimetry techniques in place of more traditional, usually slower, methods during hydrometric campaigns. In order to minimize the velocity estimation errors, one must stabilise the acquired videos. In this research, we compare the performance of different UAS video stabilisation tools and provide guidelines for their use in videos with different flight and ground conditions.

Intensified extreme weather events due to climate change can result in changes of soil erosion. These unclear developments make an improvement of soil erosion modelling all the more important. Assuming that soil erosion models cannot keep up with the current data, this work gives an overview of 44 models, their strengths and weaknesses and discusses their potential for further development with respect to new and improved soil and soil erosion assessment techniques.