NUSO 2017 Research Missions
The NUSO began its evaluation of UAS lidar data collection this year by testing the use of the Pulse Vapor 55 platform and a UAS-mountable YellowScan lidar sensor. We also coordinated the completion of a rapid response mission that successfully established an end-product contract with a locally accessible UAS company.
Bald Earth Digital Terrain Modeling at the Fort Laramie National Historic Site
At the request of the National Park Service in October 2017 the NUSO utilized UAS to acquire geospatial data to support development of a flood management plan for the Fort Laramie National Historic Site in Wyoming.
Originally established as a private fur trading fort in 1834, Fort Laramie evolved into the largest military post on the northern plains and eventually became part of the National Park System in 1938. Located at the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte Rivers, the park experienced two consecutive 100-year flood events in 2015 and 2016, resulting in increased damage to the park that highlighted a need to implement a flood management plan.
The NUSO utilized a YellowScan sensor mounted on the Pulse Vapor 55 to collect the high-density light detection and ranging (lidar) point cloud data needed to generate a bald earth digital terrain model for the park. The two remote pilots collected 24 GB of RAW lidar scans and 53 GB of raw imagery over a 3-day period. The average point density of the cloud product was approximately 210 points per square meter. The integrated YellowScan Surveyor lidar payload penetrated areas of thick vegetation to provide ground-based returns near the river channel. River channels are especially prone to high vegetation growth and the ability to accurately scan and attribute the lidar point cloud, without null data, is necessary to create a bald earth digital terrain model of the surrounding channel. Once acquired a quality control check was implemented with a stand-alone survey for research accuracy comparisons, and the required terrain models where generated.
"The LiDAR data collected will be combined with channel cross sections of the Laramie River to create a floodplain map for evaluating the vulnerability of park assets affected by more frequent flooding events. This will better inform NPS management decisions for mitigating flood risks at Fort Laramie National Historic Site." - NPS Natural Resource Manager.
Study Point of Contact:
Nell Conti, Intermountain Region GIS Coordinator
National Park Service
Groundwater Discharge Identification for the East River in the Gunnison National Forest
In August 2017 the USGS Water Mission Area Office of Groundwater Branch of Geophysics, with help from the NUSO, evaluated the value of UAS-collected video, multispectral, and thermal infrared data collection to support integrated analysis of hydrologic data for a larger groundwater/surface-water exchange study.
Sensors mounted on UAS enable collection of environmental data not otherwise available, including documentation of study area conditions (vegetation coverage, stream morphology, visible streambed and streambank features, water temperature, etc.) concurrent with other data collection to inform integrated analysis of hydrologic data for the larger groundwater/surface-water exchange study. This technology also enables more rapid data collection over a larger area than handheld sensors, and therefore may decrease personnel exposure to water safety hazards present during in- or near-water work.
During the mission UAS data collection was conducted over and adjacent to the East River and Redwell Basin stream corridors of the Gunnison National Forest near Crested Butte, Colorado. Natural color imagery was acquired from a Ricoh camera and thermal infrared was acquired using the FLIR Vue Pro, a 3DR Solo was used to fly each of the sensors. The natural color imagery was used to create a DEM of the East River to detail streambed bathymetry along exposed banks. Thermal data was used to search for temperature anomalies along the banks and waterline that could potentially indicate focused groundwater seepage.
Study Point of Contact:
Cian Dawson, Hydrologist
USGS Branch of Geophysics
Talus and Microclimate Mapping at the Bitterroot National Forest
The Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, with help from the NUSO in July 2017, evaluated the use of UAS in high elevation areas of Montana over Talus slopes to collect the thermal imagery needed to map unique habitats for montane species.
Talus provides unique and essential habitat for several montane species but is inadequately mapped to support studies of ecosystem dynamics. This study was designed to use new technology to model talus, microclimate, and vegetative characteristics with sensors aboard a UAS for comparison to measures from airborne lidar and the ground. This project also assessed data requirements and efficiency of alternative data sources for development of GIS layers that describe habitat characteristics important to montane fauna.
Study Points of Contact:
Aaron Johnston Ph.D., Research Wildlife Biologist
Todd Preston, Geologist,
USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Leaf Off and Leaf On for Vegetation Analysis and Inventory at the Colorado State University Arboretum
NUSO researchers, in collaboration with the Colorado State University (CSU) College of Agricultural Sciences, flew UAS missions over the Colorado State Arboretum during both leaf off in March 2017 and leaf on in September 2017 to evaluate the value of products generated from UAS data collection for vegetation analysis and inventories.
Data collection was performed by utilizing a 3DR Solo mounted with both the MicaSense RedEdge 3 multispectral sensor and the Ricoh GR natural color sensor. The high resolution RGB data collected from the Ricoh and the MicaSense multi-spectral data was processed using the same calibration, ground control, and processes to generate a set of leaf off and leaf on orthomosaics, digital elevations models, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. In addition, the RedEdge 3 raw imagery was pre-processed with custom Python code to produce one set of images with “reflectance” values and a second set of images with “radiance” values. These pre-processed images were then used to create two different, five banded, orthomosaics.
The complete set of products was provided to CSU faculty to evaluate for use in vegetation analysis and inventory generation activities.
Study Point of Contact:
Chris Holmquist-Johnson, Hydrologist
USGS Fort Collins Science Center
Rapid Response Flood Monitoring of the Pemigewasset River near Plymouth, New Hampshire
The NUSO successfully coordinated a contracted rapid response mission providing UAS-acquired high-resolution data over a four-mile stretch of the Pemigewasset River impacted by flooding caused by an ice dam.
In February 2017 the USGS State Liaison and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services thru the NUSO requested a rapid response UAS mission to acquire low altitude high resolution imagery of flooding caused by an ice dam (jam) occurring in and near the towns of Plymouth and Holderness, New Hampshire. Rapid delivery of this high-resolution data was crucial for the situational awareness and emergency response activities taking place to support any before and after flooding of the Pemigewasset River associated with the release of the ice dam.
NUSO researchers were able to immediately employ existing processes to establish an end-product contract with a local UAS operator, Media Wing LLC AirShark located in Montpelier, Vermont. With the contract in place, Media Wing was able to start collecting the requested high-resolution data within four hours and delivered the collected data, as well as a mosaicked image of the area, by late afternoon of the same day. Data processing of the imagery, which covered a four-mile stretch of the Pemigewasset River, resulted in the creation of a georeferenced image mosaic of the area with 3 cm ground resolution. Both the collected and processed data products were delivered to the New Hampshire State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory for briefings to the Governor, first responders and news outlets.
Study Point of Contact:
Lin Neifert, USGS State Liaison
USGS New England Water Science Center
The NUSO began its evaluation of UAS lidar data collection this year by testing the use of the Pulse Vapor 55 platform and a UAS-mountable YellowScan lidar sensor. We also coordinated the completion of a rapid response mission that successfully established an end-product contract with a locally accessible UAS company.
Bald Earth Digital Terrain Modeling at the Fort Laramie National Historic Site
At the request of the National Park Service in October 2017 the NUSO utilized UAS to acquire geospatial data to support development of a flood management plan for the Fort Laramie National Historic Site in Wyoming.
Originally established as a private fur trading fort in 1834, Fort Laramie evolved into the largest military post on the northern plains and eventually became part of the National Park System in 1938. Located at the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte Rivers, the park experienced two consecutive 100-year flood events in 2015 and 2016, resulting in increased damage to the park that highlighted a need to implement a flood management plan.
The NUSO utilized a YellowScan sensor mounted on the Pulse Vapor 55 to collect the high-density light detection and ranging (lidar) point cloud data needed to generate a bald earth digital terrain model for the park. The two remote pilots collected 24 GB of RAW lidar scans and 53 GB of raw imagery over a 3-day period. The average point density of the cloud product was approximately 210 points per square meter. The integrated YellowScan Surveyor lidar payload penetrated areas of thick vegetation to provide ground-based returns near the river channel. River channels are especially prone to high vegetation growth and the ability to accurately scan and attribute the lidar point cloud, without null data, is necessary to create a bald earth digital terrain model of the surrounding channel. Once acquired a quality control check was implemented with a stand-alone survey for research accuracy comparisons, and the required terrain models where generated.
"The LiDAR data collected will be combined with channel cross sections of the Laramie River to create a floodplain map for evaluating the vulnerability of park assets affected by more frequent flooding events. This will better inform NPS management decisions for mitigating flood risks at Fort Laramie National Historic Site." - NPS Natural Resource Manager.
Study Point of Contact:
Nell Conti, Intermountain Region GIS Coordinator
National Park Service
Groundwater Discharge Identification for the East River in the Gunnison National Forest
In August 2017 the USGS Water Mission Area Office of Groundwater Branch of Geophysics, with help from the NUSO, evaluated the value of UAS-collected video, multispectral, and thermal infrared data collection to support integrated analysis of hydrologic data for a larger groundwater/surface-water exchange study.
Sensors mounted on UAS enable collection of environmental data not otherwise available, including documentation of study area conditions (vegetation coverage, stream morphology, visible streambed and streambank features, water temperature, etc.) concurrent with other data collection to inform integrated analysis of hydrologic data for the larger groundwater/surface-water exchange study. This technology also enables more rapid data collection over a larger area than handheld sensors, and therefore may decrease personnel exposure to water safety hazards present during in- or near-water work.
During the mission UAS data collection was conducted over and adjacent to the East River and Redwell Basin stream corridors of the Gunnison National Forest near Crested Butte, Colorado. Natural color imagery was acquired from a Ricoh camera and thermal infrared was acquired using the FLIR Vue Pro, a 3DR Solo was used to fly each of the sensors. The natural color imagery was used to create a DEM of the East River to detail streambed bathymetry along exposed banks. Thermal data was used to search for temperature anomalies along the banks and waterline that could potentially indicate focused groundwater seepage.
Study Point of Contact:
Cian Dawson, Hydrologist
USGS Branch of Geophysics
Talus and Microclimate Mapping at the Bitterroot National Forest
The Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, with help from the NUSO in July 2017, evaluated the use of UAS in high elevation areas of Montana over Talus slopes to collect the thermal imagery needed to map unique habitats for montane species.
Talus provides unique and essential habitat for several montane species but is inadequately mapped to support studies of ecosystem dynamics. This study was designed to use new technology to model talus, microclimate, and vegetative characteristics with sensors aboard a UAS for comparison to measures from airborne lidar and the ground. This project also assessed data requirements and efficiency of alternative data sources for development of GIS layers that describe habitat characteristics important to montane fauna.
Study Points of Contact:
Aaron Johnston Ph.D., Research Wildlife Biologist
Todd Preston, Geologist,
USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Leaf Off and Leaf On for Vegetation Analysis and Inventory at the Colorado State University Arboretum
NUSO researchers, in collaboration with the Colorado State University (CSU) College of Agricultural Sciences, flew UAS missions over the Colorado State Arboretum during both leaf off in March 2017 and leaf on in September 2017 to evaluate the value of products generated from UAS data collection for vegetation analysis and inventories.
Data collection was performed by utilizing a 3DR Solo mounted with both the MicaSense RedEdge 3 multispectral sensor and the Ricoh GR natural color sensor. The high resolution RGB data collected from the Ricoh and the MicaSense multi-spectral data was processed using the same calibration, ground control, and processes to generate a set of leaf off and leaf on orthomosaics, digital elevations models, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. In addition, the RedEdge 3 raw imagery was pre-processed with custom Python code to produce one set of images with “reflectance” values and a second set of images with “radiance” values. These pre-processed images were then used to create two different, five banded, orthomosaics.
The complete set of products was provided to CSU faculty to evaluate for use in vegetation analysis and inventory generation activities.
Study Point of Contact:
Chris Holmquist-Johnson, Hydrologist
USGS Fort Collins Science Center
Rapid Response Flood Monitoring of the Pemigewasset River near Plymouth, New Hampshire
The NUSO successfully coordinated a contracted rapid response mission providing UAS-acquired high-resolution data over a four-mile stretch of the Pemigewasset River impacted by flooding caused by an ice dam.
In February 2017 the USGS State Liaison and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services thru the NUSO requested a rapid response UAS mission to acquire low altitude high resolution imagery of flooding caused by an ice dam (jam) occurring in and near the towns of Plymouth and Holderness, New Hampshire. Rapid delivery of this high-resolution data was crucial for the situational awareness and emergency response activities taking place to support any before and after flooding of the Pemigewasset River associated with the release of the ice dam.
NUSO researchers were able to immediately employ existing processes to establish an end-product contract with a local UAS operator, Media Wing LLC AirShark located in Montpelier, Vermont. With the contract in place, Media Wing was able to start collecting the requested high-resolution data within four hours and delivered the collected data, as well as a mosaicked image of the area, by late afternoon of the same day. Data processing of the imagery, which covered a four-mile stretch of the Pemigewasset River, resulted in the creation of a georeferenced image mosaic of the area with 3 cm ground resolution. Both the collected and processed data products were delivered to the New Hampshire State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory for briefings to the Governor, first responders and news outlets.
Study Point of Contact:
Lin Neifert, USGS State Liaison
USGS New England Water Science Center