The drone-borne magnetic survey as the optimal strategy for high-resolution investigations in presence of extremely rough terrains: The case study of the Taverna San Felice quarry dike

Accomando, Filippo; Bonfante, Antonello; Buonanno, Maurizio; Natale, Jacopo; Vitale, Stefano; Florio, Giovanni

doi:10.1016/j.jappgeo.2023.105186

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 16 publications

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“…First, the acquired data were cleaned by deleting all the spurious measurements (spikes, outliers). Then, we formed a grid data with a uniform spacing of 0.25 m. The gradiometric data were filtered for the heading error (Accomando et al 2023;Scollar et al 1990), caused by asymmetry on profiles during bidirectional surveys, and 'zigzag' effect, due to lag on adjacent lines (Figure 4c,d).…”

Section: Magnetic Surveymentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetic and GPR Data Modelling via Multiscale Methods in San Pietro in Crapolla Abbey, Massa Lubrense (Naples)

Bianco,

La Manna,

Russo

et al. 2024

Archaeological Prospection

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We performed magnetic and GPR measurements to image the buried ruins of the Middle Age abbey San Pietro in Crapolla, on the Sorrento‐Amalfi Coast (Massa Lubrense, Southern Italy). The site represents an important religious location, which is nowadays partially buried along the cliff. An integrated study was necessary to map the buried structures and address the archaeological excavation. For this reason, we carried out the surveys on two main grids in order to reconstruct the structures of the abbey and of its related church. The magnetic data were filtered through the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and then transformed to total gradient maps. The obtained maps were interpreted with depth from extreme points (DEXP) imaging method to assess the horizontal and depth positions of the top. The GPR data were processed and time‐depth converted. Results from the integrated interpretation of these data suggest the possible presence of different vaulted rooms and an elongated structure at 0.3‐m depth from ground surface. This latter is interpretable in terms of perimetral and internal walls of the abbey and its church. These outcomes were crucial to successfully address archaeological excavations, which targeted one of the modelled areas and unearthed a wall at the predicted depths.

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Section: Magnetic Surveymentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetic and GPR Data Modelling via Multiscale Methods in San Pietro in Crapolla Abbey, Massa Lubrense (Naples)

Bianco,

La Manna,

Russo

et al. 2024

Archaeological Prospection

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Towards drone-based magnetometer measurements for archaeological prospection in challenging terrain

Schmidt,

Coolen,

Fritsch

et al. 2024

Drone Syst. Appl.

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While airborne magnetometry has been used for geological surveys for decades, magnetic surveys for archaeological prospection are almost exclusively ground-based, as the detection of archaeological features requires higher spatial resolution and close proximity between sensor and object. However, the recent development of drones and magnetic sensors allows for low-altitude drone-based surveys, which are an interesting alternative for magnetic prospection of challenging areas, where vegetation, difficult terrain, access restrictions, or safety concerns hamper ground-based surveys. In this paper, we present test measurements in challenging areas in Germany and Switzerland, which demonstrate the potential as well as technical and practical concerns of drone-based magnetometry for archaeological prospection. We used a miniature total-field magnetometer, which was tethered to an octocopter drone. Although it is preferable to fly the sensor close to the ground where anomalies show the highest values, we could also detect magnetic anomalies in altitudes up to few meters above ground. Flights at different altitudes show the decay and widening of the anomalies with height. Drone-based magnetic measurements in rough and vegetated terrain require careful flight planning based on a high-resolution surface model. Further development is needed to improve positioning accuracy of the tethered magnetometer and to improve heading error correction.

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Drone-Borne Magnetic Gradiometry in Archaeological Applications

Accomando,

Florio

2024

Sensors

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The use of magnetometers arranged in a gradiometer configuration offers a practical and widely used solution, particularly in archaeological applications where the sources of interest are generally shallow. Since magnetic anomalies due to archaeological remains often have low amplitudes, highly sensitive magnetic sensors are kept very close to the ground to reveal buried structures. However, the deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is increasingly becoming a reliable and valuable tool for the acquisition of magnetic data, providing uniform coverage of large areas and access to even very steep terrain, saving time and reducing risks. However, the application of a vertical gradiometer for drone-borne measurements is still challenging due to the instability of the system drone magnetometer in flight and noise issues due to the magnetic interference of the mobile platform or related to the oscillation of the suspended sensors. We present the implementation of a magnetic vertical gradiometer UAV system and its use in an archaeological area of Southern Italy. To reduce the magnetic and electromagnetic noise caused by the aircraft, the magnetometer was suspended 3m below the drone using ropes. A Continuous Wavelet Transform analysis of data collected in controlled tests confirmed that several characteristic power spectrum peaks occur at frequencies compatible with the magnetometer oscillations. This noise was then eliminated with a properly designed low-pass filter. The resulting drone-borne vertical gradient data compare very well with ground-based magnetic measurements collected in the same area and taken as a control dataset.

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The drone-borne magnetic survey as the optimal strategy for high-resolution investigations in presence of extremely rough terrains: The case study of the Taverna San Felice quarry dike

Cited by 3 publications

References 16 publications

Magnetic and GPR Data Modelling via Multiscale Methods in San Pietro in Crapolla Abbey, Massa Lubrense (Naples)

Magnetic and GPR Data Modelling via Multiscale Methods in San Pietro in Crapolla Abbey, Massa Lubrense (Naples)

Towards drone-based magnetometer measurements for archaeological prospection in challenging terrain

Drone-Borne Magnetic Gradiometry in Archaeological Applications

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