A Correction Model for Depth Bias in Airborne LiDAR Bathymetry Systems

Airborne LiDAR bathymetry (ALB) has the characteristics of high efficiency and cost-effectiveness to obtain submarine topography in the intertidal zone. However, the accuracy of ALB is seriously affected by oceanic hydrological factors and cannot meet the accuracy standard of International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). Traditional correction models are used to correct the ALB depth biases. However, because the factors considered are not comprehensive enough in the traditional models, the accuracy of the traditional correction model for depth bias is not high. A comprehensive bias correction model and its construction method are proposed, which take into account the parameters of depth of water, suspended sediment concentration, beam scan angle and flight height. The traditional and the comprehensive models are used to correct the ALB depth biases. The experimental results show that ALB depth biases corrected by the both models can meet the accuracy standard of IHO, and the comprehensive model is better than the traditional model.