Reliable discharge measurements are indispensable for an effective management of natural water resources and floods. Limitations of classical current meter profiling and stage‐discharge ratings have stimulated the development of more accurate and efficient gauging techniques such as nonintrusive photogrammetric techniques. Despite many successful applications of large‐scale particle image velocimetry (LSPIV) for short‐term measurements during flood events, there are still very few studies that address its use for long‐term monitoring of small mountain rivers. To fill this gap, this study targets the development and testing of largely autonomous photogrammetric discharge measurement system with a special focus on the application to small mountain river with high discharge variability in the tropics. It proposes several enhancements concerning camera calibration, more efficient processing in image geometry, the automatic detection of the water level as well as the statistical calibration and estimation of the discharge from multiple profiles. A case study which comprises the analysis of several thousand videos spanning over 2.5 year is carried out to test the robustness and accuracy of different processing steps. Comparisons against classical current meter profiling show a mean absolute percentage error of 9.0% after the statistical calibration of the system. The study suggests that LSPIV can already be considered as a valuable tool for the monitoring of torrential flows, whereas further research is still needed to fully integrate nighttime observation and stereophotogrammetric capabilities.

In order to follow all the changes affecting the coastal chalk cliff face in Upper Normandy and improve knowledge about cliff erosion, repeated terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) surveys were carried out frequently between 2010 and 2013 (every 4-5 months). They were conducted at two sites with similar lithostratigraphic characteristics but different exposures to marine actions (the former being an abandoned cliff and the latter an active cliff). They provide a quantification of the production of debris with centimeter precision (from ± 0.01 to 0.04 m). These surveys provided three major outcomes: 1) cliff retreat rates were measured at high spatial resolution with retreat values, unsurprisingly, 3-4 times higher for an active cliff than for an abandoned cliff. This result highlights that marine actions should be seen as not only a transport agent but also a particularly effective erosion agent; 2) a significant proportion of debris fall production (about 25%) in the total active cliff retreat was identified; and 3) one of the modalities of retreat was visualized as the creation of a basal notch, which propagates instability towards the upper part of the cliff face. Later, this instability generates rock falls coming from the whole cliff face. Highlights: • Two sites with similar lithology but different exposures to marine actions are studied. • Cliff face changes over time and by location are examined using TLS. • Marine actions are an effective agent of erosion. • The proportion of debris fall production is about 25% in the active cliff retreat. • A basal notch propagates instability towards the upper part of the cliff face.

The present article describes a new and efficient method of Real Time Kinematic (RTK) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) assisted terrestrial Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry without the need for Ground Control Points (GCPs). The system only requires a simple frame that mechanically connects a RTK GNSS antenna to the camera. The system is low cost, easy to transport, and offers high autonomy. Furthermore, not requiring GCPs enables saving time during the in situ acquisition and during data processing. The method is tested for coastal cliff monitoring, using both a Reflex camera and a Smartphone camera. The quality of the reconstructions is assessed by comparison to a synchronous Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) acquisition. The results are highly satisfying with a mean error of 0.3 cm and a standard deviation of 4.7 cm obtained with the Nikon D800 Reflex camera and, respectively, a mean error of 0.2 cm and a standard deviation of 3.8 cm obtained with the Huawei Y5 Smartphone camera. This method will be particularly interesting when simplicity, portability, and autonomy are desirable. In the future, it would be transposable to participatory science programs, while using an open RTK GNSS network.

In the dual context of coastal hazard intensification and the growing number of stakes exposed to these hazards, coastal observatories are in demand to provide a structured framework dedicated to long-term monitoring. This article describes the drone-based photogrammetry monitoring performed since 2006 on Porsmilin Beach (Brittany, France) in the framework of the DYNALIT (Littoral and Coastline Dynamics) observatory, focusing on data quality and the consistency of long-term time series under the influence of multiple technological evolutions: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) platforms with the arrival of electric multirotor drones, processing tools with the development of structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry, and operational modes of survey. A study case is presented to show the potential of UAV monitoring to study storm impacts and beach resilience. The relevance of high-accuracy monitoring is also highlighted. With the current method, an accuracy of 3 cm can be achieved on the digital elevation model (DEM) and the orthophotograph. The question of the representativity and frequency of DEM time points is raised.

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Long-term datasets documenting the evolution of coastal forms and processes, through the provision of recurring beach as well as shoreface morphological observations and accompanying time-series of environmental controls, remain difficult to collect and are rarely made available. However, they are increasingly needed to further our understanding of coastal change and to improve the models that will help planning what our future coast will be. This data descriptor presents the results of topographic and bathymetric surveys at Porsmilin, a macrotidal embayed beach situated in Brittany, northwest France. The Porsmilin beach survey program was launched in January 2003 by the Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (IUEM/Univ. Brest) and is continuing today in the framework of the French coastal observation service SNO-DYNALIT. The dataset contains over 16 years of monthly beach profile surveys and a large collection of repeated high-resolution subtidal and subaerial digital elevation models (DEMs). The dataset is accompanied by time-series of inshore waves and water levels, and enriched metadata, that will facilitate its future reuse in coastal research.

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International audienceThe georeferencing process is crucial to the accuracy of Terrestrial Laser Scanner data, in particular in the context of diachronic studies relying on multi-temporal surveys. The use of Ground Control Points in the georeferencing process can however be complex when confronted with the practical constraints of coastal surveying.A simple and quick alternative method called “pseudo-direct georeferencing” is proposed in the present paper. This method involves internal inclinometers to measure roll and pitch angles and a centimetric GPS to measure the position of the TLS center and the position of one backsight target. When assessing the transformational uncertainty by using a set of independent ground validation points for both classical indirect and proposed pseudo-direct methods, we respectively obtain Root Mean Square errors of 4.4 cm for the indirect method and 3.8 cm for the pseudo-direct metho