01 February 2008: Cambridge – The GeoInformation® Group, publishers of Cities Revealed aerial photography (
www.citiesrevealed.com), announce today its continued contribution to flood prediction modelling with the supply of a LiDAR survey to Renfrewshire Council.
Renfrewshire Council required highly accurate and detailed real-world height data to create a digital terrain model to generate an accurate overland flow boundary for extreme storm events. Coupling the EU Water Framework Directive and Flood Directive has prompted the council to source as highly accurate data as possible to provide strategic and operational hazard maps.
The LiDAR data supplied by The GeoInformation Group to Renfrewshire Council is currently being utilised by the Network Regeneration section of the Roads Division in its capacity as the flood management hub of the council. The Section is using the LiDAR data to predict overland flow from micro-catchment to national use level and model the infrastructure and properties affected. The modelling results are providing readily useable guidance for determining potential flood solutions, in both alleviation and avoidance modes, across the developed urban area.
Cities Revealed LiDAR, at 1m resolution, was chosen as the ideal height data solution for this type of analysis and is being used to create detailed 3D ground and surface models. It enables local authorities to accurately predict flood hazard extent and nature and to guide emergency response and manage authority resources in the event of a major stage two (widespread flooding, increased cleansing measures, and road closures) or stage three flood event (as stage two but also includes evacuation of homes).
Stephen Tingle, of Renfrewshire Council comments, “The increased threat of extreme flooding has provided a catalyst for local authorities to source as accurate and cost-effective height data as possible. The use of digital terrain models, derived from LiDAR surveys, underpins the precise determination for flood hazard in urban areas. The Council still perform onsite verification however the use of Cities Revealed LiDAR in overland flow determination offers the most cost effective option to meet both our technical and budgetary requirements.”
LiDAR has revolutionised the acquisition of digital elevation data and has quickly become a de facto method of collecting height and surface information for a myriad of applications and analysis. There is no other method that can collect ground and surface height information as quickly, accurately and as cost-effectively.
With an already comprehensive and current archive LiDAR data is now readily available from Cities Revealed. Metropolitan areas with LiDAR coverage include: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Cities Revealed will be further expanding the archive to meet growing demand.
About the GeoInformation Group
The GeoInformation Group is a privately owned company based in Cambridge, UK, with offices in South Africa and partners in France and India.
With over 7000 licensed users worldwide The GeoInformation Group is a leading provider of high-resolution orthorectified aerial imagery and geospatial information products. Its aerial imagery products are published under the brand name Cities Revealed.
It also provides consultancy, training and mapping services to a broad array of professionals and has undertaken contracts to provide bespoke image databases across the world.
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