Editing Lidar (section)

===Rock mechanics===

Lidar has been widely used in rock mechanics for rock mass characterization and slope change detection. Some important geomechanical properties from the rock mass can be extracted from the 3-D point clouds obtained by means of the lidar. Some of these properties are: 

* Discontinuity orientation<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Riquelme | first1 = A.J. | last2 = Abellán | first2 = A. | last3 = Tomás | first3 = R. | last4 = Jaboyedoff | first4 = M. | year = 2014 | title = A new approach for semi-automatic rock mass joints recognition from 3D point clouds | url = http://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/36557/1/2014_Riquelme_etal_Computers%26Geosciences.pdf| journal = Computers & Geosciences | volume = 68 | pages = 38–52 | doi = 10.1016/j.cageo.2014.03.014 | bibcode = 2014CG.....68...38R | hdl = 10045/36557 | hdl-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Gigli | first1 = G. | last2 = Casagli | first2 = N. | year = 2011 | title = Semi-automatic extraction of rock mass structural data from high resolution LIDAR point clouds | journal = International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences | volume = 48 | issue = 2| pages = 187–198 | doi = 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2010.11.009 | bibcode = 2011IJRMM..48..187G }}</ref><ref name="Slob, S 2010">Slob, S. 2010. Automated rock mass characterization using 3D terrestrial laser scanner, Technical University of Delf.</ref>
* Discontinuity spacing and RQD<ref name="Slob, S 2010" /><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Riquelme | first1 = A.J. | last2 = Abellán | first2 = A. | last3 = Tomás | first3 = R. | year = 2015 | title = Discontinuity spacing analysis in rock masses using 3D point clouds | journal = Engineering Geology | volume = 195 | pages = 185–195 | doi = 10.1016/j.enggeo.2015.06.009 | bibcode = 2015EngGe.195..185R | hdl = 10045/47912 | hdl-access = free }}</ref><ref name="Riquelme">{{cite journal | last1 = Sturzenegger | first1 = M. | last2 = Stead | first2 = D. | year = 2009 | title = Close-range terrestrial digital photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning for discontinuity characterization on rock cuts | journal = Engineering Geology | volume = 106 | issue = 3–4| pages = 163–182 | doi = 10.1016/j.enggeo.2009.03.004 | bibcode = 2009EngGe.106..163S }}</ref>
* Discontinuity aperture
* Discontinuity persistence<ref name="Slob, S 2010" /><ref name="Riquelme" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Riquelme|first1=Adrián|last2=Tomás|first2=Roberto|last3=Cano|first3=Miguel|last4=Pastor|first4=José Luis|last5=Abellán|first5=Antonio|date=2018-05-24|title=Automatic Mapping of Discontinuity Persistence on Rock Masses Using 3D Point Clouds|journal=Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering|volume=51|issue=10|pages=3005–3028|bibcode=2018RMRE...51.3005R|doi=10.1007/s00603-018-1519-9|s2cid=135109573|issn=0723-2632|url=http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/131301/1/RMRE-D-18-00095%20Automated%20Persistence%20Author%20copy.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/131301/1/RMRE-D-18-00095%20Automated%20Persistence%20Author%20copy.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* Discontinuity roughness<ref name="Riquelme" />
* Water infiltration

Some of these properties have been used to assess the geomechanical quality of the rock mass through the [[Rock mass rating|RMR]] index. Moreover, as the orientations of discontinuities can be extracted using the existing methodologies, it is possible to assess the geomechanical quality of a rock slope through the [[Slope Mass Rating|SMR]] index.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Riquelme|first1=Adrián J.|last2=Tomás|first2=Roberto|last3=Abellán|first3=Antonio|date=2016-04-01|title=Characterization of rock slopes through slope mass rating using 3D point clouds|journal=International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences|volume=84|pages=165–176|doi=10.1016/j.ijrmms.2015.12.008|bibcode=2016IJRMM..84..165R |hdl=10045/52313|hdl-access=free}}</ref> In addition to this, the comparison of different 3-D point clouds from a slope acquired at different times allows researchers to study the changes produced on the scene during this time interval as a result of rockfalls or any other landsliding processes.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Abellán | first1 = A. | last2 = Oppikofer | first2 = T. | last3 = Jaboyedoff | first3 = M. | last4 = Rosser | first4 = N.J. | last5 = Lim | first5 = M. | last6 = Lato | first6 = M.J. | year = 2014 | title = Terrestrial laser scanning of rock slope instabilities | url = https://zenodo.org/record/3409637| journal = [[Earth Surface Processes and Landforms]] | volume = 39 | issue = 1| pages = 80–97 | doi = 10.1002/esp.3493 | bibcode = 2014ESPL...39...80A | s2cid = 128876331 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Abellán | first1 = A. | last2 = Vilaplana | first2 = J.M. | last3 = Martínez | first3 = J. | year = 2006 | title = Application of a long-range Terrestrial Laser Scanner to a detailed rockfall study at Vall de Núria (Eastern Pyrenees, Spain) | journal = Engineering Geology | volume = 88 | issue = 3–4| pages = 136–148 | doi = 10.1016/j.enggeo.2006.09.012 | bibcode = 2006EngGe..88..136A }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Tomás|first1=R.|last2=Abellán|first2=A.|last3=Cano|first3=M.|last4=Riquelme|first4=A.|last5=Tenza-Abril|first5=A. J.|last6=Baeza-Brotons|first6=F.|last7=Saval|first7=J. M.|last8=Jaboyedoff|first8=M.|date=2017-08-01|title=A multidisciplinary approach for the investigation of a rock spreading on an urban slope|journal=Landslides|volume=15|issue=2|pages=199–217|doi=10.1007/s10346-017-0865-0|issn=1612-510X|doi-access=free|bibcode=2018Lands..15..199T |hdl=10045/73318|hdl-access=free}}</ref>