Community Workshop: The Next Generation of LiDAR Analyses for Critical Zone Research

为期三天的研讨会将于2014年春季在科罗拉多大学博尔德分校举行，有25名职业生涯早期的地球科学家参加，重点是利用下一代光探测和测距(LiDAR)分析技术的潜力，回答跨关键地带(CZ)科学：水文学、生态学、地貌学和地质学的跨学科边界的研究问题。激光雷达技术能够使用地面(地面)和飞机安装的激光测距设备以极高的分辨率解析植被、地形和积雪数据。激光雷达数据收集的增长速度已经超过了CZ科学家学习研究应用所需的新分析技术的潜力，这使得CZ社区关于LiDAR数据的数据丰富但信息匮乏。因此，对于职业生涯初期的科学家来说，讲习班是一个重要的机会，让他们认识和了解变革性的激光雷达分析工具，并更好地利用国家科学基金会的临界区天文台(CZO)网络和来自世界各地的类似CZ野外站点已经收集的LiDAR数据集。研讨会有三个明确的目标：1.向职业生涯早期的CZ科学家介绍尖端的LiDAR分析技术；2.确定在CZ科学的学科边界上应用LiDAR分析技术的机会；以及3.利用一份讨论文件中阐述的新的LiDAR数据产品，制定推进CZ科学的五年计划。在为期一天的工作坊中，讲师将在三个专题小组之间轮换：1.流域水文学，2.森林生态与管理，3.地貌地貌与岩性。研讨会的后半部分将用于利用将在顶级同行评议的地球科学杂志上发表的跨学科激光雷达分析技术，将这些想法综合成推进CZ科学的愿景。该研讨会提供了一个独特的机会，利用来自世界各地的激光雷达数据发展多学科早期CZ科学家之间的合作，并利用课程材料和期刊出版物与更广泛的CZ社区接触。

A three-day workshop will be held at the University of Colorado-Boulder in Spring 2014 involving 25 early-career Earth scientists with a focus on the potentials for utilizing the next generation of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) analysis techniques to answer research questions across the transdisciplinary boundaries of Critical Zone (CZ) science: hydrology, ecology, geomorphology, and geology. LiDAR technology is capable of resolving vegetation, terrain, and snowpack data at extremely high resolutions using ground-based (terrestrial) and aircraft-mounted laser ranging equipment. The growth of LiDAR data collection has outpaced the potential for CZ scientists to learn about new analysis techniques needed for research applications, which has left the CZ community 'data-rich' but 'information-poor' regarding LiDAR data. The workshop is therefore an important opportunity for early-career scientists to meet and learn about transformative LiDAR analysis tools and better utilize the LiDAR datasets already collected by the National Science Foundation's Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) network and similar CZ field sites from around the world. The workshop has three clear objectives: 1. Inform early-career CZ scientists on cutting-edge LiDAR analysis techniques, 2. Identify opportunities to apply LiDAR analysis techniques across the disciplinary boundaries of CZ science, and 3. Develop a five-year vision for advancing CZ science with new LiDAR data products that is articulated in a discussion paper. For one day of the workshop the instructors will rotate between three topical groups: 1. Watershed hydrology, 2. Forest ecology and management, and 3. Geomorphic landforms and lithology. The second half of the workshop will be spent synthesizing these ideas into a vision for advancing CZ science using transdisciplinary LiDAR analysis techniques to be published in a top-level peer-reviewed Earth science journal. The workshop offers a unique opportunity to develop collaborations among multidisciplinary early-career CZ scientists working with LiDAR data from around the world and engage the wider CZ community using course materials and journal publications.