From the Sky to the Ground: Establishing a Multi-Platform LiDAR Approach for Monitoring and Managing Cultural Resources at Avon Park Air Force Range

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Military Cultural Resources Management" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Avon Park Air Force Range (AFR), located in the heart of central Florida, contains archaeological resources vulnerable to severe weather and flooding, as well as ecological and anthropogenic disturbances. Avon Park AFR in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Houston's National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping, is spearheading a rigorous, multiyear, high-resolution change detection monitoring (CDM) program. This initiative uses advanced LiDAR and imaging technologies to detect and analyze climate-driven changes at three strategic archaeological sites within the range. This project draws on established CDM applications from engineering and construction fields where comparing subsequent surface models against baseline data delineates changes over time. By integrating LiDAR data obtained from airborne crewed and remotely operated platforms and terrestrial laser scanners, the CDM program at Avon Park AFR aims to enhance the detail and accuracy of these comparisons, enabling precise monitoring and informed management strategies for the preservation of significant cultural resources. Initial results are promising, revealing patterns of erosion, aggradation, and stable conditions, but not without operational challenges. This project highlights the essential role of CDM in cultural resources management and its adaptability to other critical environmental assessment and monitoring tasks.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Military Cultural Resources Management   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51438