![](https://object.cloud.sdsc.edu/v1/AUTH_opentopography/www/images/logos/noaa-logo-crop.png)
A bare-earth digital elevation map (also known as a Digital Elevation Model, or DEM) of a portion of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, was
produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Elevation measurements were collected over the area using the NASA Experimental Advanced
Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), a pulsed laser ranging system mounted onboard an aircraft to measure ground elevation, vegetation canopy,
and coastal topography. The system uses high-frequency laser beams 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 target area at approximately 50 meters per second at an elevation of approximately
300 meters. The EAARL, developed by NASA at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, measures ground elevation with a vertical resolution of +/-15
centimeters. A sampling rate of 3 kilohertz or higher results in an extremely dense spatial elevation dataset. Over 100 kilometers of coastline
can be surveyed easily within a 3- to 4-hour mission. When subsequent elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to
make management decisions regarding land development.
Original contact information:
Contact Name: Amar Nayegandhi
Contact Org: Jacobs Technology, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, FL
Title: Computer Scientist
Phone: 727 803-8747 (x3026)
Email: anayegandhi@usgs.gov
This data set is an LAZ (compressed LAS) format file containing LIDAR point cloud data.