| Abstract: | Abstract Bad weather in many countries limits the use of optical satellite imageries in spatial and temporal monitoring of the environment. In this paper, a series of low-altitude oblique aerial photos taken on daily, weekly and monthly intervals were used to monitor the geomorphological changes in the upper part of the Mersey Estuary, northwestern England. This low-altitude aerial photo methodology reveals itself to be a satisfying compromise between cost, accuracy and difficulty of implementation. It offered a large amount of information on a spatial and temporal scale aiding in the understanding of channel mobility. This was an important consideration in the sitting and installation of new bridge pier foundations. This series of oblique aerial photos was used in a dynamic model to determine the migration of the ebb channel and was effective in identifying the main route of flow. Few uncertainties were encountered and the level of accuracy achieved in resolving these uncertainties in the images was in the range from 40 cm to a maximum of 1.7 m. This was compared with historical navigation charts and showed good correlation. Further applications are required to improve the quality of the data output from these images and the development of the technique. |
