Abstract
Taking advantage of spatial information technology, the efficiency of collecting data in the field and the data accuracy have been dramatically enhanced for geologists nowadays. In this research, by using UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) with a digital camera, and ultra-high accuracy ground control points, we produce ortho- and elevation images in order to recognize and analyze geological structures. We take a 750-meter-wide Dahan River riverbed near the Shihmen reservoir and a Dajia River cliff outcrop of the Sanyi active fault as examples to illustrate the usefulness of UAV for geologists. At the Dahan Riverbed, there are a series of left-lateral sense faults with orientation of N20°E. Furthermore, an S-shaped fold has been recognized with a 50-meter amplitude and 200-meter half-wavelength in the orthoimage. At the Dajia River cliff, a 980-meter-long elevation image has been produced. At least three fault branches can be recognized on the elevation image. They are labelled as F1, F2 and F3 from west to east in this Sanyi fault zone. F1 cutting into the modern gravelly layer has been acknowledged as the most active branch fault in the research area. F2 did not cut into the overlaid 70-meter-high terrace layer. It may be the fault branch with a maximum separation because the greenish grey sandstone of Kueichulin formation formed earlier than 4 million ago is not exposed west of F2 on the cliff. The hanging wall of F3 is composed of the greenish grey sandstone of Kueichulin formation and the footwall of F3 is composed of gravelly layer formed after 2 million years ago. The F3 is overlaid with regolith and vegetation. The results of the geologically structural analyze above all benefit from the images taken via UAV. Moreover, the GSD (ground sample distance) of the high-quality models presented in this study reaches 4 cm/pixel. With the accuracy of static GPS (global positioning system) reaches about 0.5cm in horizontal and 1cm in elevation. DSM accuracy is about in centimeters. To sum up, UAV-based photogrammetry with high accuracy ground control points, showing a high efficiency and high flexibility indispensable technology in the field survey for geologists.