Advanced airborne remote sensing methods for monitoring municipal solid waste landfills

Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are dynamic environments where biological, chemical, and physical processes such as waste decomposition, gas emissions, and settlement create complex challenges for monitoring and management. Effective landfill management requires comprehensive and reliable information on key factors such as landfill volume, the distribution and health of herbaceous vegetation, including invasive species, and the spatial dynamic of active waste deposition zones. Advanced remote sensing technologies, particularly airborne hyperspectral (HS) imaging in the visible, near-infrared, shortwave infrared (VNIR, SWIR), and thermal infrared (TIR) regions, and airborne laser scanning (ALS) offer a powerful approach to addressing these challenges.

This study demonstrates the potential of the airborne hyperspectral VNIR-SWIR and TIR data and ALS-derived DEMs (https://olc.czechglobe.cz/en/flis-2/) for monitoring two active MSW landfills in the Czech Republic. A key focus of this research is the integration of airborne data processing with ground-based surveys to improve the accuracy of landfill volume assessments and vegetation monitoring. The ground-based survey included precise GPS measurements and detailed botanical survey on landfills. High spectral resolution data from VNIR and SWIR sensors enable detailed characterization of landfill vegetation, including the identification of herbaceous species and the detection of invasive plants based on their spectral signatures. Additionally, TIR imaging provides information about surface temperature anomalies, which can indicate active waste zones and areas of increased methane emissions.

ALS data, used for generating high-resolution DEMs, allow for precise delineation of landfill boundaries, accurate estimation of landfill volume, and detection of settlement or landslide patterns. When integrated with hyperspectral data, the DEMs help refine vegetation filtering algorithms, improving elevation accuracy in areas with dense herbaceous cover.

The proposed methodology of landfill monitoring provides detailed spatial and temporal insights that are critical for decision-making. These findings underscore the transformative potential of hyperspectral, thermal infrared, and airborne laser scanning technologies in supporting the effective and sustainable management of MSW landfills, providing a valuable tool for ecological monitoring, environmental risk assessment, and operational optimization.

Key words: hyperspectral, thermal, laser scanning, herbaceous vegetation, volume, sustainable management

Acknowledgement: The research is supported by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic grant number SS06020164, and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic within the CzeCOS program, grant number LM2023048.