Ranging
The acronym stands for Light Detection and Ranging, or Laser Imaging, Detection, and Ranging. LIDAR is a remote sensing method for determining ranges (variable distance) by targeting an object with a pulsed laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver. The light pulses combined with other data can generate precise, 3D images of the shape of the Earth and its surface. It is commonly used to make high-resolution maps, with applications in surveying, geodesy, geomatics, archaeology, geography, geology, geomorphology, seismology, forestry, atmospheric physics, laser guidance, airborne laser swath mapping (ALSM), and laser altimetry.
