LIDAR TECHNOLOGY FOR THE MONITORING OF WATER SUPPLY IN AN ALPINE CATCHMENT

The study describes the design of a monitoring activity of water supply in an alpine catchment. It will be carried out with special Lidar surveys. The aim of this work is to quantify the amount of water accumulated as snow during the winter. We are planning to make two Lidar surveys: one at the end of October, before the starting of the accumulation season, and the other at the beginning of April, at the end of winter season, when the maximum accumulation occurs. The pattern of accumulation obtained with Lidar survey is expected to be validated with joint local measurements of snow depth and snow density in correspondence of meteorological stations, and through fieldwork measurements of snow water equivalent that will be collected during an ‘ad hoc’ campaign on April 1, 2013, following the indications reported in Bavera and De Michele (2009), about the field campaign realized in 2007, relatively to Mallero river basin. The pattern of accumulation can be updated every year with the only survey of the maximum accumulation. The study allows also obtaining refined DTM and water flow models to be used for the evaluation of hydro- geological risk.