2001 ATM LiDAR Data for George Washington Birthplace National Monument
USGS Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies. 2003. 2001 ATM LiDAR Data for George Washington Birthplace National Monument. USGS Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies. George Washington Birthplace National Monument
Bare-earth and first-return LiDAR elevation data. Elevation measurements were collected using the NASA Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM), a pulsed laser ranging system mounted onboard an aircraft to measure measure ground elevation and coastal topography. The system uses a high frequency laser beam directed at the earth's surface through an opening in the bottom of the aircraft's fuselage. The laser system records the time difference between emission of the laser beam and the reception of the reflected laser signal in the aircraft. The plane travels over the beach at approximately 60 meters per second while surveying from the water line to the landward base of the sand dunes. The Airborne Topographic Mapper, developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia, measures ground elevation with a vertical resolution of 15 centimeters. A sampling rate of 3 kHz or higher results in an extremely dense spatial elevation data set. For example, within a 10 square meter ground area, the number of laser pulses can vary from 11 to 35, depending on scan orientation. Over 100 kilometers of coastline can be easily surveyed within a 3- to 4-hour mission time period. The ability to sample large areas rapidly and accurately is especially useful in morphologically dynamic areas such as barrier beaches. Quick assessment of topographic change can be made following storms comparing measurements against baseline data. When subsequent elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to make management decisions regarding coastal development.
- Type
- Geospatial Dataset
- Authors
- USGS Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies
- Date of Issue
- 2003
- Publisher
- USGS Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies
- Units
- GEWA , NCBN
- Keywords
- Airborne Topographic Mapper, Coastal Management, Digital Elevation Model, elevation change, George Washington Birthplace, laser altimetry, Lidar, Nomini Bay, Resource Management, Virginia
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Coastal/Oceanographic Features and Processes