Terrain wetness indices derived from LiDAR to inform soil moisture and corrosion potential for underground infrastructure

The external corrosion of cast iron water supply pipes has been associated with the availability of free moisture at the pipe wall. This is difficult to observe or measure for extensive pipe networks such as in major cities. A proxy is soil surface moisture content. This may be estimated using terrain wetness indices with highly accurate elevation data derived from airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). Such information was obtained for...