The Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) Lidar and Imagery datasets are comprised of three separate Lidar surveys: Diablo Canyon (2010), Los Osos (2011), and San Simeon (2013).

The DCPP San Simeon project study area is located primarily in San Luis Obispo County, California, encompasses approximately 195,000 acres (801 km²), and measures 75 miles in length. Watershed Sciences, Inc. (WSI) collected Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) data and orthophotography across the DCPP San Simeon survey area from 29 January 2013 to 25 February 2013. For optimal capture of the intertidal zone, WSI acquired Lidar data of the coastline during seasonal low tides between 7 February 2013 and 10 February 2013.

The lidar survey utilized a Leica ALS70 sensor in a Cessna Caravan, and an Optech Orion sensor in a Bell Long Ranger. The Leica system was used for acquisition of the inland portion of the study area. It was set to acquire 240,000 laser pulses per second (i.e., 240 kHz pulse rate) and flown at 1,100 meters above ground level (AGL), capturing a scan angle of ±15° from nadir. The Orion system was used to acquire the intertidal portion of the study area. It was set to acquire 175,000 laser pulses per second and flown at 300 meters AGL, capturing a scan angle of ±13° from nadir. Both laser systems were programmed to yield an average native pulse density of ≥8 pulses per square meter over terrestrial surfaces.

Digital orthophotos were collected using a 260 megapixel ultra large format digital aerial camera. Image radiometric values were calibrated to specific gain and exposure settings associated with each capture using Microsoft's UltraMap software suite. The calibrated images were saved in TIFF format for input to subsequent processes. Photo position and orientation were calculated by linking the time of image capture, the corresponding aircraft position and attitude, and the smoothed best estimate of trajectory (SBET) data in POSPAC. Within the Inpho software suite, automated aerial triangulation was performed to tie images together and to align with ground control. The orthophotos were delivered in 0.375 USGS tiles with a 3'' pixel resolution.

This survey was flown in conjunction with the DCPP Senior Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee (SSHAC) Level 3 process and as part of the DCPP Long-Term Seismic Program (LTSP). In addition to raster data, Lidar point cloud data are available for this area: San Simeon Point Cloud Data.