I have worked closely with Professor Dr. Paulo Ruiz Cubillo and his department in Lanamme to retrieve Lidar data to make landslide susceptibility models. Since 2012, Dr. Ruiz has worked on his PhD thesis with Lidar data from the area of the Poas volcano, where he showed the potential of images and all the products that they can obtain by using them. The use of Lidar has improved the landslides susceptibility models. However, aerial Lidar images are expensive and the cost is about 1,500 US $ per km2. The Costa Rican government invested more that 85,000 US $ to get them, since Route 27 data consist of 80 km2. While, landslides susceptibility models, are usually use for broad areas. Lidar data makes it possible to work in corridor projects, just like Route 27. The results of this project is complementary to other regional projects. My role is to extract the data from the Lidar images and make models to comprise a much larger model where we can see the geotechnical problems or density of landslides, right now we are focused on a specific area on Route 27 which is 44-45 km. Route 27 specifically,is a concession project. Which means that it has to comply to specific international safety standards for its users. By doing the landslides susceptibility models and specific work with lidar data, we demonstrate that there are areas of the route that need to be improved. This route is where 40% of the products that Costa Rica exports goes through which makes this route so important and makes not only companies but the government invested in this Route.
- Jenylee Pineda