Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing method that measures distance to targets by emitting rapid laser pulses and recording the time-of-flight of the backscattered signal to reconstruct three-dimensional spatial information. Operating typically in the near-infrared or ultraviolet-visible spectrum, lidar systems integrate a laser transmitter, scanning optics, timing electronics, and sensitive detectors (e.g., APDs, SPADs) to achieve centimeter- to meter-scale ranging precision. Methodological variants include airborne and terrestrial lidar for topographic mapping, bathymetric lidar using water-penetrating wavelengths, and Doppler lidar for wind profiling, with data processed into point clouds, digital elevation models, and other quantitative geospatial products.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have developed a new type of lidar—a laser-based remote-sensing instrument—that can observe cloud structures at the scale ...
Earth Sciences
Dec 23, 2025
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Forests have been benefiting humanity since long before the health benefits of forest bathing were discovered. They are major carbon sinks that provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including timber and non-timber forest ...
Ecology
Oct 29, 2025
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38
A few years ago, researchers in Michal Lipson's lab noticed something remarkable. They were working on a project to improve LiDAR, a technology that uses lightwaves to measure distance. The lab was designing high-power chips ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 7, 2025
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652
Scanning forests with lasers can provide three-dimensional models of forests, creating a unique way to look at these ecosystems. Researchers at the University of Helsinki are pioneers in applying this technical solution to ...
Ecology
Oct 6, 2025
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78
Optical frequency combs, as a time and frequency "ruler," have important applications in precision ranging. Conventional dual-comb ranging schemes utilize the optical Vernier effect to achieve long-distance measurements, ...
Optics & Photonics
Aug 20, 2025
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87
Canada is facing another dangerous wildfire season, with burning forests sending smoke plumes across the provinces and into the U.S. again. The pace of the 2025 fires is reminiscent of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season, ...
Environment
Jul 28, 2025
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35
Satellite data used by archaeologists to find traces of ancient ruins hidden under dense forest canopies can also be used to improve the speed and accuracy to measure how much carbon is retained and released in forests.
Ecology
Jun 14, 2025
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40
Fluorescence lidar technology enables a better determination of the origin of particles in the atmosphere. The method can also visualize particle layers that were previously practically invisible. This is the conclusion drawn ...
Environment
Jun 4, 2025
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19
In the United States, earthen levees are an integral part of flood control systems, protecting around 23 million Americans and crucial infrastructure. Recently, the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2025 Report Card for ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 3, 2025
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30
Researchers from the University of Rochester and University of California, Santa Barbara, engineered a laser device smaller than a penny that they say could power everything from the LiDAR systems used in self-driving vehicles ...
Optics & Photonics
Jun 2, 2025
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