Exploring spatial patterns of overflights at Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Peterson BA, Beeco JA , Anderson SJ, Joyce D. 2022. Exploring spatial patterns of overflights at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Natural Resource Report. NPS/MORU/NRR—2022/2410. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/nrr-2293663
The purpose of this study was to explore the spatial patterns of overflights at Mount Rushmore National Memorial (Mount Rushmore). Overflights were analyzed from August 15th, 2020 to May 15th, 2021 using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and radar data from L3Harris. The first phase of analysis focused on all overflights and found a high concentration of overflights fly above Mount Rushmore. The second phase of analysis focused on low-level overflights that fly below 9,000ft mean sea level (MSL), which showed that many low-level overflights fly in a ring-shaped pattern around Mount Rushmore. The third phase of analysis removed all overflights known to not be air tours. Point density analysis was conducted using waypoints segmented into 500ft above ground level (AGL) altitude intervals, which showed that the density of overflights varied by altitude interval and the 1,000-1,500ft AGL range had the highest density of overflights around and above Mount Rushmore. This altitude interval also had the highest number of waypoints. It was also determined that the aircraft owners who fly the most helicopter routes fly at mean and median altitudes less than 1,600ft AGL. This information can be used for planning and management purposes and this study serves as a resource for future research that intends to use more advanced analytics.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Peterson, Brian; Beeco, J.; Anderson, Sharolyn; Joyce, Damon
- Date of Issue
- 2022-06
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- DOI
- 10.36967/nrr-2293663
- Units
- MORU , NRSS , NSNSD
- Keywords
- ADS-B, air tours, aircraft tracking, overflights, spatial ananlysis
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Landscapes | Soundscape | Soundscape