Thermal and Lidar Monitoring of Alaska Highway Ground Instability

Three localities along the Alaska Highway between White River and Beaver Creek, Yukon, were surveyed for permafrost thaw impacts. Thermal infrared imaging and lidar data from remotely piloted aircraft systems, along with ground surveys, were used to examine temperature variations and topographic changes. The dataset was published by the Government of Yukon and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Detect ground subsidence features based on lidar topographic change data
• Analyze temperature variations linked to permafrost thaw based on thermal infrared imagery
• Map crack and deformation patterns along a highway based on survey observations
• Associate pothole formation with zones of subsidence based on described damage characteristics

Strengths

• Data integrates multiple survey methods: thermal infrared imaging, lidar, and ground surveys
• Focuses on a specific, vital transportation route: the Alaska Highway
• Describes concrete damage features: 1 to 2 m-wide subsidence zones, potholes, longitudinal and transverse cracks

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the three surveyed localities

Provenance

Source

Government of Yukon

Collection Method

Thermal infrared imaging and lidar mounted on remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), along with ground surveys

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-17 16:04:14.152751; freshness should be verified

Geography

Three localities along the Alaska Highway between White River and Beaver Creek, Yukon