2003 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL): US Virgin Islands (St. John, St. Croix)

This data set contains topographic and bathymetric lidar data that were collected on April 21, 23, 30, May 2, and June 14, 17 of 2003, cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Park Service (NPS). The data is for part of the U.S. Virgin Islands (island of St. John and a portion of the northern coastline of St. Croix). The bathymetric lidar data are classified as 11 and the topographic lidar data are classified as 0. A first surface and submerged topography elevation map (also known as a Digital Elevation Model, or DEM) of a portion of the U.S. Virgin Islands (island of St. John and a portion of the northern coastline of St. Croix) was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Park Service (NPS). 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.

Data and Resources

Field Value
accessLevel public
accrualPeriodicity irregular
bureauCode {006:48}
catalog_@context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
catalog_conformsTo https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
catalog_describedBy https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
identifier gov.noaa.csc.maps:2003_USGS_VI_m566
language {en-US}
modified 2011-01-01
old-spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-64.819269, 17.746823], [-64.607852, 17.746823], [-64.607852, 18.373668], [-64.819269, 18.373668], [-64.819269, 17.746823]]]}
programCode {006:059}
publisher DOI/USGS/CMGP/SPCMSC > St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, United States Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior (Point of Contact)
resource-type Dataset
source_datajson_identifier true
source_hash dec45ac006e81e9f093fbc4b258dcf1d0112be37
source_schema_version 1.1
spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-64.819269, 17.746823], [-64.607852, 17.746823], [-64.607852, 18.373668], [-64.819269, 18.373668], [-64.819269, 17.746823]]]}
Groups
  • AmeriGEOSS
  • National Provider
  • North America
Tags
  • airborne-lidar-processing-system
  • alps
  • amerigeo
  • amerigeoss
  • bathymetry
  • bathymetry-topography
  • buck-island
  • ckan
  • dem
  • digital-elevation-model
  • eaarl
  • experimental-advanced-airborne-research-lidar
  • geo
  • geoss
  • laser-altimetry
  • lidar
  • national
  • north-america
  • remote-sensing
  • st-croix
  • st-john
  • submerged-topography
  • topography
  • u-s-virgin-islands
  • united-states
isopen False
license_id notspecified
license_title License not specified
maintainer Wayne Wright
maintainer_email wwright@usgs.gov
metadata_created 2025-11-21T23:42:35.286787
metadata_modified 2025-11-21T23:42:35.286792
notes This data set contains topographic and bathymetric lidar data that were collected on April 21, 23, 30, May 2, and June 14, 17 of 2003, cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Park Service (NPS). The data is for part of the U.S. Virgin Islands (island of St. John and a portion of the northern coastline of St. Croix). The bathymetric lidar data are classified as 11 and the topographic lidar data are classified as 0. A first surface and submerged topography elevation map (also known as a Digital Elevation Model, or DEM) of a portion of the U.S. Virgin Islands (island of St. John and a portion of the northern coastline of St. Croix) was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Park Service (NPS). 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.
num_resources 1
num_tags 25
title 2003 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL): US Virgin Islands (St. John, St. Croix)