Developing and testing an automated GIS toolbox for tracking low-level overflights above United States' National Park Service units
Peterson BA , Hutchinson J , Gurung B , Olstad T , Anderson S, Betchkal D , Joyce D, Beeco A . 2025. Developing and testing an automated GIS toolbox for tracking low-level overflights above United States' National Park Service units. International Journal of Astronautics and Aeronautical Engineering. 10(1)
Low-level overflights are a significant and pervasive noise source in many international parks and protected areas. Understanding overflight travel patterns is important for managers to establish management strategies and to ensure flight compliance with specified rules. Overflight travel patterns can be determined by collecting and analyzing Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data. However, these datasets are often large, elaborate, and time-consuming to analyze, map, and interpret. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and test an automated Geographic Information System (GIS) toolbox that can process ADS-B datasets. The toolbox was designed for use by the United States National Park Service (NPS) and intended to be intuitively used by NPS employees who have minimal GIS training. The toolbox was tested at Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, and Acadia National Parks and was assessed by GIS experts and validated by managers from these park units. The toolbox advances NPS’s ability to quickly and efficiently analyze ADS-B data, which can help inform the development of management strategies and soundscape management plans related to overflights.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Peterson, Brian; Hutchinson, J. M. Shawn; Gurung, Bijan; Olstad, Tyra; Anderson, Sharolyn; Betchkal, Davyd; Joyce, Damon; Beeco, Adam
- Units
- ACAD , GRCA , GRSM
- Keywords
- ADS-B, Arcgis Pro, GIS, National Parks, Overflights, Parks and Protected Areas