NOAA Topobathymetric Lidar DEM: Miami to Key Largo Post-Hurricane Irma, 2018-2019

Florida Keys coastal and seafloor elevation data collected by Quantum Spatial, Inc. for NOAA after Hurricane Irma. The dataset includes 70 digital elevation model tiles at 1-meter resolution, covering 285,529 acres from Miami south to the Marquesas Keys, with acquisition dates from November 2018 to March 2019. Data points are classified into categories including ground, bathymetric bottom, water surface, and submerged objects.

Use Cases

• Modeling coastal erosion and storm surge impacts based on high-resolution bare earth and bathymetric elevation models.
• Analyzing changes in submerged topography and features based on classified point categories for bathymetric bottom and submerged objects.
• Assessing post-hurricane landscape alterations using ground-classified LiDAR points collected over multiple missions.
• Studying water column and surface dynamics using intensity values, return number, and scan angle data mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• High-resolution 1-meter pixel digital elevation models derived from classified LiDAR points.
• Covers a specific, large area of approximately 285,529 acres along the Florida Keys coastline.
• Includes multiple data types: DEMs in ERDAS Imagine format and point cloud data in LAS tiles (5,065 tiles).
• Points are classified into 13 distinct categories, including ground, water surface, and bathymetric bottom.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and column definitions require manual inspection after download.
• Some classifications (46, 71, 72, 81, 85) associated with temporal bathymetric differences have only undergone automated classification and lack manual review.
• Row count and specific column details are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for certain analyses.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected via airborne LiDAR using Riegl VA880G+, VQ880GII, and VQ880GH systems by Quantum Spatial, Inc.

Time Range

2018-11-20 to 2019-03-23

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 21:06:22.985454; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern coast of Miami south and westward to the Marquesas Keys, Florida, USA.