Amazon Forest LiDAR Point Clouds and Terrain Models

Late June and July 2008 LiDAR surveys provide point clouds and digital terrain models over the Tapajos National Forest in Para, Brazil. The data covers areas around K67 and K83 eddy flux towers and a deforestation chronosequence, collected to analyze forest canopy structure and the impact of selective logging on biomass and carbon balance. The dataset is associated with the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia.

Use Cases

• Analyzing forest canopy height and structure using LiDAR point cloud data.
• Modeling terrain and elevation changes with the provided digital terrain models (DTM).
• Correlating forest structural metrics with long-term carbon dioxide flux measurements from the K67 and K83 towers.
• Monitoring forest recovery and biomass changes over time following selective logging events.
• Studying the relationship between topography and forest dynamics in the Amazon basin.

Strengths

• Focuses on a critical ecological region with long-term flux measurement infrastructure (K67 and K83 eddy flux towers).
• Provides specific temporal coverage for the surveys (late June and July 2008).
• Cross-platform presence on NASA EarthData and Data.gov indicates recognized scientific value.

Limitations

• Key technical details are missing, including column names, row counts, and exact file sizes.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between sources (2008-07-04 and 2026-03-13), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• Data formats are listed but their specific contents and structures are not described.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD organization via NASA EarthData.

Collection Method

Airborne LiDAR surveys conducted over the Tapajos National Forest.

Time Range

Late June to early July 2008.

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:10:26.471486

Geography

Tapajos National Forest, Belterra municipality, Para, Brazil.