在举世闻名的冰川中创建洞穴的交互式3D模型

案例分析

作者:Tommaso Santagata,Farouk Kadded

The Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina is one of the most important natural tourist attractions in the world. Its surface has been studied by explorers and geologists since the 19th century, but cavities in the glacier are too dangerous to explore on foot. In 2017 a research project organised by the Italian La Venta Esplorazioni Geografiche and the French Spélé’Ice associations set out to study the entrance to a cave at the edge of the glacier using Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). One of the aims of the project was to record information that could be used in the future to study how fast glacial ice is melting. The three-dimensional scanning data collected was later used to create an interactive 3D map, which the team has made publicly available.


使用3D映射靠近Perito Moreno冰川



The Perito Moreno Glacier is located in Los Glaciares National Park in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the largest temperate ice mass in the Southern Hemisphere. It has an area of more than 250km² and extends 30 km from the Lago Argentino East towards the border with Chile West. Its relatively stable condition has made it one of the most famous tourist attractions in Argentina, drawing nearly one hundred thousand visitors each year.

Little is known about the caves of the glacier because they are too dangerous to explore; there is a constant fall of large chunks of ice from the cave ceilings. As part of the MaGPat Project (Microorganisms and Glaciers in Patagonia),La Venta Esplorazioni Geograficheand the FrenchSpélé’Ice2017年,有组织的该地区的最初洞穴调查之一。研究人员的主要目标是研究生活在冰川上的微生物,并尽可能多地绘制洞穴。唯一可以研究的腔是一个有趣的接触洞穴,该洞穴被直接馈入冰川的流挖出。Leica Geosystemslaser scanning solution被用来实现洞穴和洞穴入口内第一米的3D图。


Detail from a distance with the Leica ScanStation P40



La Venta的Tommaso Santagata解释说,3D激光扫描技术已被证明是地理调查的转化,“这些技术越来越多地用于地质研究中,例如在洞穴中或计算冰面和冰量的变化。3D激光扫描技术可以在几分钟之内在复杂的多面表面上以非常高的空间密度来获取数百万分,以非常高的空间密度。致密点云包含大量可用于表示和分析的数据。”

In the Perito Moreno study the team used aLeica ScanStation P40, which can capture high quality 3D data and High-Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging at a long range of 270 metres. The survey-grade 3D laser scanner was positioned at a safe distance to acquire data on the surface of the glacier and the cave entrance. It was controlled using aLeica CS35 tabletcomputer, which the team also used to check partially processed data while they were still in the field. In this way they were able to make sure the survey was progressing as planned, while still able to make changes. A dedicated camera integrated into the scanner was used to produce coloured point clouds and take 360° panoramic images.

Santagata explains the process, “About eight laser scans were performed to acquire the necessary data. These operations took about two hours and were realised in the late afternoon in order to have the area not directly illuminated by the sun. Laser scans were produced with resolutions of 6mm and 3mm (which represent the distance of each single point measured at 10m from the laser scanner) and acquiring photographs with the internal camera of the instrument.” In addition, photogrammetry flights were carried out with UAVs flying from 30 to 70m heights.

TheLeica GS16- a self-learning GNSS smart antenna - was used to acquire measurements, both for ground control points for the photogrammetry survey and to measure velocity and elevation changes along a north-south strip of the glacier. It was also paired with the CS35 tablet computer so that data could be processed directly in the field.


Visualising the 3D data using Leica Cyclone



The survey team usedLeica Cyclone3D point cloud processing software to align the point clouds and create a 3D model. The model was then processed further withLeica Cyclone 3drto create the project deliverables. Cyclone 3DR handles most industry-standard formats so the team was able to merge the laser scanning data with images taken by the UAV to create the model they required. To share the 3D data with colleagues outside the team, Santagata used Leica Geosystems’ freeJetStream Viewer, which lets anyone - even those without any 3D modelling experience - easily view and manipulate point clouds.


Sharing information with the scientific community and beyond

Santagata解释说,冰川的详细3D模型为研究人员提供了一个准确的记录,可以从中衡量冰的变化:将来比较冰川这一部分的演变。”

Following the trip, 360° photographs from the 3D models and a 3D interactive model were produced to show the results to anyone with an interest in the area. At the International Speleological Meeting in Italy in 2019 it could be viewed using virtual reality glasses, and it now lives online.

Explore the3D model of a contact cave in the Perito Moreno glacier.
Watch some of the highlights from theglacier expedition.

参与该项目的组织:Los Glaciarres国家公园,La Venta,Spélé’ies,Milan-Bicocca大学,巴黎自然历史博物馆,巴黎狄德罗大学,佛罗伦萨大学,博洛尼亚大学,维亚纳大学和维亚维亚大学 - 虚拟地理局。

Laser scanning and GNSS surveys were carried out in collaboration with Farouk Kadded from Leica Geosystems France and member of Spélé’Ice association.

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