Application and prospects of airborne LiDAR technology in landslide research in China

China is one of the countries mostly severely affected by landslide disasters in the world. Many catastrophic large landslides in recent years are not included in the national geo-hazard database, and these landslides are characterized by high-altitude occurrence, strong concealment, and long-distance movement. Traditional observation methods are ineffective in identifying them, posing great difficulties for landslide investigation work. Airborne LiDAR is a new type of active remote sensing technology with features of all-weather, high precision, and true three-dimensional representation, playing an important role in landslide investigation and research. This paper briefly summarizes the technical principles, data acquisition, and processing methods of airborne LiDAR systems, and summarizes a series of achievements and progress in three research fields in China, including landslide 3D model construction, landslide identification and feature analysis, and landslide deformation monitoring. It demonstrates that airborne LiDAR technology can effectively acquire true surface 3D model after vegetation removal, highlight landslide feature information, and accurately extract landslide morphology and characteristics. Key scientific issues in the field of landslide research using airborne LiDAR technology are discussed.The standard of LiDAR point cloud classification suitable for different landslide types has not yet been formed, and there is a lack of regional-scale landslide identification and development law research. Finally, the development trends of landslide research based on airborne LiDAR technology are summarized and prospected.