Scholarly record

APPLYING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION GEOMORPHOLOGICAL MAPPING OF THE AHTOPOL COASTAL SECTOR (BULGARIAN BLACK SEA COAST)

Bogdan Prodanov

Abstract

Low-altitude remote sensing technology applied with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been recently adopted in Bulgaria. This study presents the optimal low-budget framework for a rapid high-resolution geomorphological mapping of a small part of the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coastal zone. A Quadcopter DJI Phantom 4 Pro was used to acquire the aerial images. These were post-processed using the structure-from-motion (SfM) approach. Ground control points (GCPs) surveyed with a GPS HiTarget V90 Plus were applied for the proper georeferencing of the SfM photogrammetry and subsequent assessment of the imagery accuracy. The resultant digital surface model (10.5 cm ground sampling distance - GSD) and orthophotomosaic (6 cm GSD) were used to map the different land- and bedforms in the Ahtopol coastal sector. A geomorphological map was compiled, while the identified land- and bedforms were classified into relevant classes in accordance with the contemporary processes in the coastal zone. This study reveals the potential of UAVs for three-dimensional (3D) mapping of the Bulgarian coast, which, at this stage, has not yet been mapped in such detail using high-resolution techniques.

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