2026 Big Sky GeoCon - From Data to Design

A large rainfall event triggered multiple landslides across Bridger Bowl Ski Area in southwest Montana on July 29, 2025. The Geospatial Core Facility at Montana State University conducted a UAV-based LiDAR survey over a landslide path along the northern boundary of Bridger Bowl and generated a 1-m resolution post-event digital elevation model (DEM). A pre-event 1-m DEM was obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey. Raster differencing between the pre- and post-event DEMs was used to estimate a volumetric displacement of 16,000 m3. These results demonstrate the value of UAV LiDAR for post-event landslide assessment and terrain management in alpine environments.