Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

How to use fiducial-based photogrammetry to track large-scale outdoor motion

  • Techniques
  • Published:
Experimental Techniques Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The concept for the use of vision-based tracking is that precise knowledge of the motions of many material points on the surface of interest can be obtained and used to discriminate between different types of landslides and patterns of behavior. Fiducial-based photogrammetry is inexpensive and robust, requires onetime placement of markers, and allows the user to determine temporal and spatial acquisition of digital images of marked slopes over extended time. Motions determined from analyses of serial images of day (boards and spheres) and night (LEDs) visible markers can be expressed in terms of displacement per day or weekly variation in the daily rate or in terms of total, vertical, downslope, or across-slope velocity, all depending on the needs of the user. By quantifying motion, the underlying processes driving a landslide can be understood, allowing appropriate mitigation or management strategies to be designed. Using markers that can be seen by the naked eye day and night provides communities in landslide-prone areas with a simple method to detect change in a pattern of markers on a slope.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Petley, D.N., and Bulmer, M.H.K., “The Application of Earth Observation Technologies for Landslide Disaster Mitigation,” Proceedings of the CEOS Workshop, Beijing, China; November 16–17, 2004.

  2. Saito, T., “Semi-logarithmic Representation for Forecasting Slope Failure,” Proceedings, International Symposium on Landslides, Volume 1, Sarita Prakashan, Meerut, India, pp. 321–324 (1980).

  3. Fukozono, T., “Recent Studies in Time Prediction of Slope Failure,” Landslide News 4:9–12 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Voight, B., “A Method for Prediction of Volcanic Eruptions,” Nature 332:125–130 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Petley, D., Bulmer, M.H., and Murphy, W., “Patterns of Movement in Rotational and Translational Landslides,” Geology 30(8):719–722 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Sornette, D., Helmstetter, A., Andersen, J., Gluzman, J., Grasso, J., and Pisarenko, V., “Towards Landslide Predictions: two Case Studies,” Physica A 338:605–632 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Terzaghi, K., “Mechanisms of Landslides,” Geological Society of America Berkeley Volume, 83–123 (1950).

  8. Bjerrum, L., “Progressive Failure in Slopes of Overconsolidated Plastic Clay and Clay Shales,” Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division of the American Society of Civil Engineers 93:1–49 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Petley, D.N., “The Mechanics and Landforms of Deep-seated Landslides,” Brooks, S., and Anderson, M., (eds), Advances in Hillslope Processes, Wiley, Chichester, UK, pp. 823–835 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Iverson, R.M., “The Physics of Debris Flows,” Reviews of Geophysics 35:245–297 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Iverson, R.M., “Acute Sensitivity of Landslide Rates to Initial Soil Porosity,” Science 290:513–516 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Santos, M.L.L., Guenat, C., Bouzelboudjen, M., and Golay, F., “Three-dimensional GIS Cartography Applied to the Study of the Spatial Variation of Soil Horizons in the Swiss Floodplain,” Geoderma 97(3–4):351–366 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Roering, J.J., Kirchner, J.W., and Dietrich, W.E., “Evidence for Non-linear Diffusive Transport on Hillslopes and Implications for Landscape Morphology,” Water Resources Research 35(3):853–870 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Bulmer, M.H., Finnegan, D., and Anderson, S., “Defining the Optimal Topographic Resolution for Process-driven Studies,” Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, p. 1116 (2007).

  15. Oka, N., “Application of Photogrammetry to the Field Observation of Failed Slopes,” Engineering Geology 50:85–100 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Mankelow, J.M., and Murphy, W., “Using GIS in the Probabilistic Assessment of Earthquake-triggered Landslide Hazards,” Journal of Earthquake Engineering 2:593–623 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Singhroy, V., Glenn, N., Bannert, D., et al., The Use of Earth Observing Satellites for Hazard Support: assessment and Scenarios, Committee for EO Satellites, NOAA, Landslide Hazards Report in CEOS 2003, US Department of Commerce, Washington, DC (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Bulmer, M.H., Mantovani, F., Murphy, W., and Petley, D., “SAR Interferometry in Landslide Monitoring: experiences from Black Ven Landslide, Dorset 2001,” Delahaye, D., Levoy, F., and Maquaire, O., (eds), Geomorphology: from Expert Opinion to Modeling, Symposium Proceedings Paper, European Geophysical Society Conference, Strasbourg, France, pp. 21–28 (2002).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Bulmer, M.H., Petley, D.N., Murphy, W., and Mantovani, F., “Detecting Slope Deformation Using Two Pass Differential Interferometry: implications for Landslide Studies on Earth and other Planetary Bodies,” Journal of Geophysical Research—Planets E06S16, 111 (2006).

  20. Petley, D.N., Higuchi, T., Petley, D.J., Bulmer, M.H., and Carey, J., “The Development of Progressive Landslide Failure in Cohesive Materials,” Geology 33:201–204 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Allison, R.J., and Brunsden, D., “Some Mudslide Movement Patterns,” Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 15:297–311 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Bulmer, M.H., Glaze, L.S., Anderson, S., and Shockey, K.M., “Distinguishing Between Primary and Secondary Emplacement Events on Blocky Volcanic Deposits Using Rock Size Distributions,” Journal of Geophysical Research 110:B01201, doi: 10.1029/2003JB002841 (2005).

  23. Finnegan, D.C., Arcone, S.A., Bulmer, M.H., and Anderson, S.W., “Fine-scale Topographic Analysis of Rock Size Distributions Derived From High-resolution Ground-based LiDAR,” EOS Transactions American Geophysical Union 88(23), Joint Assembly Supplement, P41A-043 (2007).

  24. Shepard, M.K., Campbell, B.A., Bulmer, M.H., Farr, T., and Gaddis, L., “The Roughness of Natural Terrain: a Planetary and Remote Sensing Perspective,” Journal of Geophysical Research—Planets 106:32777–32795 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Bulmer, M.H., Farquhar, T., and Roshan, R., Tracking Surface Motion, Ingate Road, Halethorpe, Baltimore County, Report to Baltimore County Department of Public Works, Geophysical Flow Observatory, Open File Report 07–07.1 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Berardino, P., Costantinib, M., Franceschettic, G., Iodicec, A., Pietranerab, L., and Rizzod, V., “Use of Differential SAR Interferometry in Monitoring and Modeling Large Slope Instability at Maratea (Basilicata, Italy),” Engineering Geology 68:31–51 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Czuchlewski, K.R., Weissel, J.K., and Kim, Y., “Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar Study of the Tsaoling Landslide Generated by the 1999 Chi-Chi Earthquake, Taiwan,” Journal of Geophysical Research 108(F1):6006, doi: 10.1029/2003JF000037 (2003).

  28. Heimsath, A.M., and Farid, H., “Hillslope Topography From Unconstrained Photographs,” Mathematical Geology 34(8):929–952 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Bulmer, M.H., Roshan, M., Akhtar, S.S., and Wahla, S.K., Field Report: landslide Investigation in the Neelum and Jhelum Valleys, Kashmir, Landslide Observatory, Landslide Mitigation Group, Baltimore, MD, Open File Report 06–06.2 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Bulmer, M.H., Farquhar, T., Roshan, M., Akhtar, S.S., and Wahla, S.K., “Landslide Hazards after the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake,” EOS Transactions American Geophysical Union 88(5):53–55 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Petley, D.N., Mantovani, F., Bulmer, M.H., and Zannoni, F., “The Interpretation of Landslide Monitoring Data for Movement Forecasting,” Geomorphology 66:133–147 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Bulmer, M.H., “Knowledge of Physical Process Can Assist in Natural Disaster Response,” Monday Development 24(6):10–11 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Petley, D.N., and Allison, R.J., “The Mechanics of Deep-seated Landslides,” Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 22: 747–758 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Mantovani, F., Pasuto, A., Silvano, S., and Zannoni, A., “Collecting Data to Define Future Hazard Scenarios of the Tessina Landslide,” ITC Journal 1:33–40 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Roshan, M., Bulmer, M.H., and Farquhar, T., Detection of Slope Movement in Kashmir Using an Experimental Photographic Analysis Technique, Project Report, Masters Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Department of Mechanical Engineering (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Gili, J.A., Corominas, J., and Rius, J., “Using Global Positioning System Techniques in Landslide Monitoring,” Engineering Geology 55:167–192 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Malet, J.-P., Maquaire, O., and Calais, E., “The Use of Global Positioning System Techniques for the Continuous Monitoring of Landslides: application to the Super-Sauze Earthflow (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France),” Geomorphology 43(1):33–54 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Coe, J.A., Ellis, W.L., Godt, J.W., et al., “Seasonal Movement of the Slumgullion Landslide Determined From Global Positioning System Surveys and Field Instrumentation, July 1998 – March 2002,” Engineering Geology 68:67–101 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Chadwick, J., Thackray, G., and Dorsch, S., “Landslide Surveillance: new Tools for an Old Problem,” EOS 86(11):109–120 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Squarzoni, C., Delacourt, C., and Allemand, P., “Differential Single-frequency GPS Monitoring of the La Valette Landslide (French Alps),” Engineering Geology 79(3–4):pp. 215–229 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore Countyc, Baltimore, USA

    M. H. Bulmer (research associate professor and director of the Geophysical Flow Observatory)

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA

    T. Farquhar (associate professor and director of the flexible structures laboratory) & M. Roshan (research assistant for the Flexible Structures Laboratory)

Authors
  1. M. H. Bulmer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. Farquhar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Roshan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. H. Bulmer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bulmer, M.H., Farquhar, T. & Roshan, M. How to use fiducial-based photogrammetry to track large-scale outdoor motion. Exp Tech 34, 40–47 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1567.2008.00474.x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1567.2008.00474.x

Search

Navigation