NOAA Topobathymetric Lidar: Revillagigedo Channel, Alaska 2021

253,401 acres of combined topographic and bathymetric lidar data were collected for Southeast Alaska's Revillagigedo Channel between June and August 2021. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) commissioned NV5 Geospatial to acquire the data using Leica Hawkeye 4X and Riegl 1560i systems. The final dataset is delivered in four blocks, each containing LAS format point clouds with ASPRS-standard classifications for ground, water surface, bathymetric bottom, submerged vegetation, and water column.

Use Cases

• Model coastal erosion and flood risk based on integrated topographic and bathymetric elevation data.
• Map submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitats based on the dedicated classification code (64).
• Analyze water column properties and submerged features for hydrological studies based on classifications for water column (45) and submerged features (43).
• Correct for temporal differences in bathymetric measurements based on overlap classifications (65, 71, 72).
• Differentiate sensor and channel contributions to the point cloud based on the mapped user byte values (0-30).

Strengths

• Covers 253,401 acres across four precisely defined blocks (Block01: 103,002 acres, Block02: 76,119 acres, Block03: 55,929 acres, Block04: 18,351 acres).
• Includes detailed ASPRS-standard point classifications for 18 distinct categories, including ground, water surface, bathymetric bottom, and submerged aquatic vegetation.
• Data underwent a feedback edit review process with NOAA, and corrections were incorporated into the final datasets.
• Contains multiple sensor data channels (Riegl NIR, Chiroptera green, Hawkeye green deep) mapped in the user byte.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics for attributes like intensity and scan angle must be inferred from the LAS format or external specifications.
• The dataset's row count (total number of lidar points) is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale processing.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific channel and mission dates in Southeast Alaska.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected via airborne lidar systems (Leica Hawkeye 4X, Riegl 1560i) by NV5 Geospatial across 40 missions.

Time Range

2021-06 2021-08

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 21:45:20.159461; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Revillagigedo Channel, Southeast Alaska, United States, North America