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名早期职业地球科学家参加，重点是利用下一代光探测和测距（LiDAR）分析技术来回答跨临界区（CZ）科学跨学科边界的研究问题：水文学，生态学，地貌学和地质学。LiDAR技术能够使用地面（陆地）和机载激光测距设备以极高的分辨率解析植被，地形和积雪数据。LiDAR数据收集的增长已经超过了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社区在LiDAR数据方面“数据丰富”但“信息贫乏”。因此，该研讨会是早期职业科学家的重要机会，以满足和了解变革性LiDAR分析工具，并更好地利用国家科学基金会临界区天文台（CZO）网络和来自世界各地的类似CZ现场站点已经收集的LiDAR数据集。本次研讨会有三个明确的目标：1。向早期职业CZ科学家介绍尖端的LiDAR分析技术，2.确定应用激光雷达分析技术跨越CZ科学学科界限的机会，以及3。制定一个五年愿景，用新的LiDAR数据产品推进CZ科学，并在讨论文件中阐明。在为期一天的研讨会上，讲师将在三个专题组之间轮换：1。流域水文学，2。森林生态与管理，3。地貌和岩性。研讨会的后半部分将把这些想法综合成一个愿景，利用跨学科的激光雷达分析技术推进CZ科学，并发表在一份顶级的同行评审地球科学杂志上。该研讨会提供了一个独特的机会，可以在来自世界各地的激光雷达数据的多学科早期职业CZ科学家之间开展合作，并利用课程材料和期刊出版物吸引更广泛的CZ社区。

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.