Lynden Penner & Jason Cosford: J.D.Mollard and Associates - Terrain Analysis for Geotechnical Investigations Workshop

Effective terrain analysis for geotechnical investigations is built on landform recognition and an understanding of the physical properties and geotechnical characteristics of earth materials within those landforms. Knowledge of physical processes that created the landforms and ongoing processes that modify the landscape, coupled with knowledge of the underlying geological and hydrogeological conditions, allows the terrain analyst to infer the sediment composition within the landforms and their physical properties, geotechnical characteristics and condition.

Interpretation of 3D aerial and satellite images is an essential skill for terrain analysts to describe and characterize the terrain for a wide range of geotechnical applications. This hands-on, interactive one-day course focuses on the use of airphotos and satellite images, high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) and other remote sensing tools for 3D terrain analysis, including data integration and analysis using geographic information systems (GIS). Emphasis is given to identification and interpretation of Canada’s landforms, landscapes, surface and subsurface materials along with their characteristics, properties, suitability and behaviour for specific uses and applications. Participants will interpret a selection of 2D and 3D air photos appearing in an introductory DOWN TO EARTH textbook, a stereoscopic air photo manual containing 680 images of diverse terrains from across Canada, and high-resolution 3D DEM imagery. A main course objective will be to describe identifying characteristics of a wide variety of Canadian landscapes, their recognition features and associated geoscience, engineering and environmental significance/behaviour/applications. Instructors will make extensive use of practical case history examples to illustrate remote sensing techniques and objectives along with multidisciplinary data integration, including the use of GIS technology.