Lidar-Derived Bare-Earth Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Mosaic for EAARL Coastal Topography—Fire Island, New York, 2002

A digital elevation model (DEM) mosaic for Fire Island, New York, was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements collected October 25 and November 8, 2002 by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Elevation measurements were collected over the area using the first-generation Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL-A), 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 55 meters per second at an elevation of approximately 300 meters, resulting in a laser swath of approximately 240 meters. More than 100 kilometers of coastline can be surveyed easily within a 3- to 4-hour mission. When resultant elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to make management decisions regarding land development.