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USGS Scientists Meet to Explore the Role of Lidar Data and Technology in USGS Programs By Tonya Clayton Feb. / Mar. 2003 in this issue:  previous story | next story Bruce Molnia (Geology Discipline, Reston, VA) and Theresa Olsen (Water Resources Discipline, Tacoma, WA) enjoy lidar "shop talk" at the evening poster session. More than 50 scientists from all four disciplines of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) participated in a USGS Lidar Workshop held last November in St. Petersburg, FL. Lidar (light detection and ranging) is analogous to radar (radio detection and ranging), except that lidar uses light waves emitted by a laser (rather than radio waves) to gather data. In its simplest form, lidar is used to determine the distance from the laser to a given object. More sophisticated lidar systems can provide such information as sea-surface roughness, wind velocity, or vegetation density. Sponsored by the USGS' Land Remote Sensing Program and convened by Bryan Bailey (Land Remote Sensing Program), John Brock (Coastal and Marine Geology Program), Pat Chavez (Flagstaff Field Center), Ralph Haugerud (National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program), and Dean Gesch (EROS Data Center), the workshop aimed to identify and discuss a wide range of topics and issues related to USGS applications of lidar data and technology. Primary goals of the workshop were to facilitate interaction and enlightenment of USGS scientists and managers with respect to lidar data and technology and to help them derive maximum and cost-effective benefit from the application of lidar data in their work. The workshop was characterized by an interactive format, with participants first sharing their individual interests in and experience with lidar data and technology. In subsequent plenary and breakout sessions, six issues that influence the efficient and effective use of lidar data and technology were addressed: Current and future lidar technologies, Lidar applications within USGS science disciplines, Calibration and accuracy assessment, Tools for processing and evaluating lidar data sets, Lidar data management, and Commercial and contracting issues. A popular feature of the workshop was the evening poster session, which created an opportunity for informal presentation and discussion of ongoing lidar-related work. Reflecting a longstanding interest in lidar, scientists from the coastal arena constituted a strong presence at the workshop. Presenters from coastal field centers included John Brock ("Temporal Waveform Resolving Lidar" and "Aircraft Position and Attitude Determination"), Tonya Clayton ("Integrated Lidar and Hyperspectral Scanning"), and Amar Nayegandhi ("Tools for Processing and Evaluating Lidar Data Sets: USGS/St. Petersburg Lidar Processing Software"). Participants from the Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies (St. Petersburg, FL) included Melanie Harris, Karen Morgan, Eric Nelson, Meg Palmsten, Ellen Raabe, Abby Sallenger, and Hilary Stockdon. Registrants from the Pacific Science Center (Santa Cruz, CA) included Ann Gibbs, Cheryl Hapke, Mimi D'Iorio, and graduate student Dave Reid. A volunteer committee that includes Ellen and Karen is compiling a workshop report. To receive a copy of the report when it is complete, please e-mail a request to rsnotes@usgs.gov. Lidar Mapping of Vegetation at Assateague Island National Seashore—a First Look Dec. 2002 / Jan. 2003 Remote Sensing of Coral Reefs: Testing the Waters at Biscayne National Park November 2002 USGS Research Contributes to Assateague Island Restoration: Mitigating 70 Years of Coastal Erosion Due to Ocean City Jetties November 2002 Recent Cruise Completed for the North Carolina Regional Coastal Erosion Study September 2002 "First Line of Defense" Against Storm Runup Along Florida's Atlantic Coast March 2002 New Mapping Techniques Help Assess the Health of Hawai'i's Coral Reefs U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Puget Sound Lidar Consortium local agency and Federal research scientists Feature Extraction from LIDAR U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hurricane and Extreme Storm Impact Studies: Coastal and Nearshore Mapping with Scanning Airborne Laser (Lidar) U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in this issue:  previous story | next story

Feb. / Mar. 2003 Mailing List: Sign up to receive monthly email updates: print this issue in this issue: cover story: Competitive Edge of Invasive Species Lake Mead Work Continues Dolphin Rescue London Interns Tour St. Pete Congressional Briefing on Gas Hydrates Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety Science Mentoring Coastal Vulnerability Lidar Data and Technology International Deep-Sea Corals Workshop Northeastern Coastal Ecosystems and Resources Workshop Shinn Wins 2002 Shoemaker Distinguished Achievement Award Coastal and Marine Scientists Win 2002 Shoemaker Product Excellence Awards Behrendt and Poag Elected AAAS Fellows Normark Awarded Keen Medal A Tribute to Joe Newell Marine Geophysics Pioneer Honored Celebrating Careers of Five Retirees Manheim Lectures on Trends in Scientific and Technological Innovation San Francisco Bay Earthquake Hazards Effectivenes of Marine Reserves in Central California Human Influence on Diatom Productivity and Sedimentation in Chesapeake Bay Feb. / Mar. Publications List

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