LIDAR elevation flights

LIDAR was flown by Kucera International Inc., Willoughby Ohio, on 22 April 2008 to collect high resolution elevation data of the Kellogg Biological Station, Lux Arbor Reserve and Marshall Farm properties. The trees were just starting to bud out and the snow was melted so it was a good time of the year for the flight.

The lidar data were processed-classified to bare earth, ground return and all other (non-ground) return. The ground return data were quality control checked using visual representations and comparison with the ground control. The bare earth return data were furnished to KBS.

The aerial lidar survey was performed using Kucera’s SN037 Leica ALS50 Phase I 83kHz lidar system operated on their aircraft at an altitude of 1375 meters, scan FOV 30 degrees, laser pulse rate 48000, scan rate 40.0, and attenuator selection 0.7 (dark).

Laser raw statistics: swath width 590 meters, footprint diameter 0.4 meters, point density 1.13 points/square meter, point spacing 0.94 meters, flight line spacing 386 meters. 19 flight lines.

Data Processing: Boresite calibration date- April 8 2008, Minimum/maximum scan angle output:-30 degrees/ +30 degrees, actual scan angle output: -45 degrees/ +45 degrees, tile layout used: arbitrary, Classes: 1)default, 2)ground, 3)asphalt ground, 4)intermediate echo, 5)first of many echo, 6)building, 7) low point, 8)model keypoints, 9)temporary, 10)grass ground. Grid spacing generated:5 meter.

Accuracy Results: number of control points used in analysis-21, average elevation variation: 0.0000, minimum elevation Dz -0.100, maximum elevation Dz 0.080, RMS 0.048meters, standard deviation 0.049 meters, horizontal accuracy: <1meter.

Ground control points were surveyed by Scott W. Hopkins P.S., Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc. (Kalamazoo), contracted by KBS. Points were located by RTK GPS. Collected on 4-30-08 and 5-1-08, units in meters.

Kucera sent KBS the data in 3 space-delimited ASCII XYZ forms; 1)raw data, 2)model keypoints and 3)5-meter gridded data generated from the LiDAR bare earth returns.

Units are meters.