Abstract:Paleo-glacial landforms serves as an important carrier for understanding Quaternary environmental evolution. The high-precision data from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) LiDAR technology allows for the study of paleo-glacial landforms with higher resolution, which can significantly improve the precision of paleo-glacial landforms analysis and glacial landforms mapping. Located on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the paleo-Daocheng ice cap preserves rich ancient glacial remains, making it an ideal area for studying glacial geomorphology. In this study, UAV LiDAR technology were applied to conduct aerial surveys of the moraines at the outlet of a glacial valley in Kuzhaori area, located at the the southern edge of the paleo-Daocheng ice cap. The survey yielded Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Digital Orthophoto Map (DOM) and 3D point cloud data of the Kuzhaori moraines. Furthermore, the DEM imaging effects with resolutions of 12.5m and 30m were compared, and the morphological features of the Kuzhaori moraines, as well as the morphological parameters of the valley enclosed by the moraines at the glacial valley outlet, were analyzed. The results indicate that: (1) UAV LiDAR technology can rapidly acquire high-quality, high-resolution data suitable for small areas and complex terrain. Combined with the three-dimensional model can improve the understanding of moraines, glacial troughs and valleys geomorphological morphology; (2) Statistical analysis of topographic features of moraines at Kuzhaori reveal that innermost K-Moraine1 has the second highest average slope, while the K-Moraine6, as an independent moraines, has the highest average slope; (3) The power function exponent b values of the valley enclosed by the moraines at the Kuzhaori glacial valley outlet range from 0.24 to 0.54, which is lower than those observed in most glacial valleys; V-index results range from 0.52 to 0.69. This study provides a good research case for quantitative analysis of glacial geomorphology based on UAV LiDAR technology.