Compact and inexpensive kite apparatus for geomorphological field aerial photography, with some remarks on operations

Equipment for performing low-altitude aerial photography for geomorphological studies on 10–1000 m scales is described, with particular reference to study of sand dunes. An automatic digital camera is lofted by a parafoil kite: the arrangement costs around $400, collapses into a volume of ∼2 l and can be deployed in a few minutes, making it convenient for field use when wind conditions (>4 m/s) permit. Some operational considerations are discussed and we demonstrate two scientific applications – change detection to show a dune at White Sands has not advanced in an 11-month interval and the generation of a digital elevation model of Bruneau Dune.