Helene Burningham wins 2018 BSG photo competition

Dr Helene Burningham has won the 2018 British Society for Geomorphology photo competition with her image of Orford Haven/Shingle Street on the Suffolk coast.

Captured using an unmanned aerial system (UAS) during early morning low water on a spring tide, the photo contains a complex suite of forms and structures, variably shaped by both wave and tidal processes.

A high tide recurve spit partially encloses a small tidal lagoon, while waves refract and break around a low tide shingle platform - only the spit would be exposed at high tide.

Helene explains the technique:

“"UAS is an increasingly valuable tool in geomorphological research, complementing many of the more traditional, ground-based surveying techniques. The spatial resolution achieved is less than 10 cm meaning we can capture incredible detail. When combined with accurate dGPS surveys, and photogrammetry in post-processing, we can also generate high resolution surface elevation models that allow us to measure morphological change and therefore understand much more about the dynamics of these systems over different spatial and temporal scales."

See

• Griffiths, D. & Burningham, H. (2018) Comparison of pre-and self-calibrated camera calibration models for UAS-derived nadir imagery for an SfM application. Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment.
• British Society for Geomorphology