Puerto Rico Southwest Coast 4-Meter LiDAR Bathymetric Mosaic

A LiDAR bathymetric mosaic with a mean 4-meter grid resolution covers 265 square nautical miles of the southwestern Puerto Rico coastline. The Tenix LADS Corporation acquired the data for NOAA using a LADS Mk II airborne system between April 7 and May 15, 2006. Data collection spanned depths from -50 meters (topographic) to 70 meters underwater, requiring 102 flight hours.

Use Cases

• Model seafloor topography and slope from the 4-meter gridded bathymetric depth values.
• Analyze coastal erosion and sediment transport by comparing depth data along the shoreline.
• Assess benthic habitat suitability for coral reefs using depth and topographic relief features.
• Validate and update nautical charts by comparing measured depths to existing chart data.
• Study the impact of environmental factors like water clarity on LiDAR data coverage and accuracy.

Strengths

• 265 square nautical miles of spatial coverage.
• Data meets International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Order 1 accuracy standards.
• 4x4 meter spot spacing with 200% seabed coverage provides high resolution.

Limitations

• Data is from a single campaign in 2006 and may not reflect current conditions.
• Daily acquisition was influenced by environmental factors like wind, clouds, and water clarity, potentially creating gaps.
• Depth range is limited to between -50 and 70 meters, excluding deeper offshore areas.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Collection Method

Airborne LiDAR survey using a LADS Mk II system, processed with CARIS HIPS and SIPS and CARIS BASE Editor software.

Time Range

2006-04-07 to 2006-05-15.

Freshness

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Geography

Southwestern coastline of Puerto Rico, U.S. Caribbean.