Remote sensing of laboratory rivers

Remote sensing enables us to measure fluvial systems without disrupting their dynamics. Small-scale physical models of rivers allow us to observe their geomorphic evolution, but we need remote sensing methods to monitor these laboratory landscapes without altering their flow or topography, just as with field-scale rivers. In this paper, we review how experimental geomorphologists have adapted remote sensing for the laboratory. We consider how remote methods to monitor model topography, flow depth, velocity and planform have been employed, enabling uninterrupted experimental evolution. We also explore the transfer of techniques between field-scale and experimental remote sensing; the controlled conditions in the lab aided the development of some methods, while others benefited from airborne deployment. We consider recent developments offered by laboratory remote sensing, including through-water laser scanning and adaptations of structure-from-motion photogrammetry; we also consider new challenges associated with these developments, such as computational power. Finally, we discuss new research problems that laboratory remote sensing is opening up to geomorphology. We hope this review will be useful for experimentalists seeking to collect data remotely, continuously and/or cost-effectively.