Affordable and dependable UAS and the integration of highly advanced sensors has created remarkably novel capabilities for safer, more cost-efficient remotely sensed data collection.
USGS performs the studies needed to create the scientific foundation upon which policymakers, natural resource managers, and the public can make informed decisions about the management of natural resources on which they and others depend. UAS now plays a vital role in data collection for these scientific studies by addressing the data-gaps left between satellite-based observations (limited by image resolution, atmospheric conditions, and acquisition timelines), manned aircraft collection (often infeasible due to safety concerns, the need for low altitude flights, high costs, and hazardous conditions) and ground efforts (time-consuming and increases personnel exposure to adverse conditions and safety risks). UAS data collection can also require only minimal lead-time, which allows for rapid and flexible response to unique and time-sensitive events. All these characteristics have enabled UAS to become one of the best tools for gathering the repeatable, scientifically valid observations needed to support the science that leads to better policy decisions, which benefits all Americans.
Data collected by UAS supports a wide variety of studies, data releases, and scientific publications:
March 3, 2024
Aerial imagery and other remotely-sensed data from a UAS survey of Pepperwood Preserve, Sonoma County, CA
January 29, 2024
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge Texas: Using drone acquired 2019 imagery to classify sudden dieback vegetation in Coastal TX wetlands
January 1, 2024
An open-source workflow for scaling burn severity metrics from drone to satellite to support post-fire watershed management
December 19, 2023
The 2022 Chaos Canyon landslide in Colorado: Insights revealed by seismic analysis, field investigations, and remote sensing
September 27, 2023
Multispectral images and field measurements of water depth from the Sacramento River near Glenn, California, acquired September 14-16, 2021
September 15, 2023
Discharge Estimation Using Video Recordings from Small Unoccupied Aircraft Systems
July 25, 2023
Guidelines for Calibration of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Imagery
May 15, 2023
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau: Coastal Threats to the Hawaiian Sites and Landscapes
April 12, 2023
UAS-Based Observations of Infrasound Directionality at Stromboli Volcano, Italy
March 31, 2023
Rapid-response digital elevation models of the 2020–present summit eruptions at Kīlauea Volcano, Island of Hawaiʻi
March 28, 2023
The Future of Emissions Testing is Looking Up: How EPA is Using Drones to Test Air Quality
February 23, 2023
Topobathymetric Model of Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park, 2011 to 2019 – Field Survey Source and Validation Data
February 8, 2023
A comparison of direct & indirect survey methods for estimating colonial nesting waterbird populations
January 17, 2023
Beyond presence mapping: predicting fractional cover of non-native vegetation in Sentinel-2 imagery using an ensemble of MaxEnt models
January 11, 2023
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from a UAS survey of the Los Padres Reservoir delta, Carmel River valley, CA, 2017-11-01
December 8, 2022
Assessing the seasonal evolution of snow depth spatial variability and scaling in complex mountain terrain
August 24, 2022
Democratizing macroecology: Integrating unoccupied aerial systems with the National Ecological Observatory Network
June 6, 2022
Regional walrus abundance estimate in the United States Chukchi Sea in autumn
May 24, 2022
Get to know the scientists behind snow to flow: The study of snowmelt in the Western U.S.
May 24, 2022
Walruses are skittish. That’s why this scientist is using drones to count them.
March 9, 2022
Colorado River at Windy Gap near Granby, CO - 2021/07/27 Water Surface Velocity Map Using Particle Image Velocimetry
February 23, 2022
UAV based vegetation classification results and input NDVI, vegetation height, and texture datasets for two Montana rangeland sites in 2018
February 21, 2022
Rockfall Kinematics from Massive Rock Cliffs: Outlier Boulders and Flyrock from Whitney Portal, California, Rockfalls
February 14, 2022
Small Unoccupied Aircraft System Imagery and Associated Data used for Discharge Measurement at Eight Locations Across the United States in 2019 and 2020
December 9, 2021
Spectral reflectance measurements of radiometric calibration panels for UAS image calibration
October 19, 2021
Snow Depth Retrieval With an Autonomous UAV-Mounted Software-Defined Radar
October 2021
Developing bare-earth digital elevation models from structure-from-motion data on barrier islands
September 15, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at West Whidbey Island, WA, June 2019
September 15, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, WA, June 2019
July 22, 2021
Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) video of the 2018 summit eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii
March 18, 2021
Enumerating White‐Tailed Deer Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
March 18, 2021
Lava effusion rate evolution and erupted volume during the 2018 Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption
February 22, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Post Point, Bellingham Bay, WA, June 2019
February 22, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park, Tacoma, WA, June 2019
February 18, 2021
Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) video of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii
November 29, 2020
Fossil Hunting Is Entering a New Technological Age
November 20, 2020
Small atoll fresh groundwater lenses respond to a combination of natural climatic cycles and human modified geology
October 12, 2020
QCam: sUAS-Based Doppler Radar for Measuring River Discharge
September 25, 2020
From Lava to Water: A New Era at Kilauea
September 25, 2020
Predicting Bird Guilds Using Vegetation Composition and Structure on a Wild and Scenic River in Arizona
September 19, 2020
Ultra‐high‐resolution mapping of biocrusts with Unmanned Aerial Systems
June 2, 2020
CountryMapper Sensor Validation Survey Data
April 9, 2020
Volcanological applications of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS): Developments, strategies, and future challenges
December 12, 2019
Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano: data release
December 6, 2019
Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano
December 2019
Reach-Scale Monitoring and Modeling of Rivers - Expanding Hydraulic Data Collection Beyond the Cross Section
2019
Reach-Scale Monitoring Network
November 19, 2019
Orthoimagery and elevation data derived from UAS imagery for Palmyra Atoll, USA 2016
November 8, 2019
Variable normal-fault rupture behavior, northern Lost River fault zone, Idaho, USA
August 6, 2019
Orthoimagery and elevation data for Bluffton Native Habitat Waterway, Indiana, 2016
April 29, 2019
A partnership to protect critical infrastructure
January 25, 2019
The 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea Volcano
July 17, 2018
Understanding Floods | Long-term Streamflow Data Collection
May 8, 2018
Advances in Streamgaging | Reach-Scale Monitoring Experiment (2 of 2)
January 30, 2018
UAS imagery acquisition for McFaddin NWR and J.D. Murphree WMA acquired fall 2017
June 15, 2017
UAV lidar and hyperspectral fusion for forest monitoring in the southwestern USA
2017
Drones for Three-Dimensional Modeling of Devil’s Tower National Monument
Affordable and dependable UAS and the integration of highly advanced sensors has created remarkably novel capabilities for safer, more cost-efficient remotely sensed data collection.
USGS performs the studies needed to create the scientific foundation upon which policymakers, natural resource managers, and the public can make informed decisions about the management of natural resources on which they and others depend. UAS now plays a vital role in data collection for these scientific studies by addressing the data-gaps left between satellite-based observations (limited by image resolution, atmospheric conditions, and acquisition timelines), manned aircraft collection (often infeasible due to safety concerns, the need for low altitude flights, high costs, and hazardous conditions) and ground efforts (time-consuming and increases personnel exposure to adverse conditions and safety risks). UAS data collection can also require only minimal lead-time, which allows for rapid and flexible response to unique and time-sensitive events. All these characteristics have enabled UAS to become one of the best tools for gathering the repeatable, scientifically valid observations needed to support the science that leads to better policy decisions, which benefits all Americans.
Data collected by UAS supports a wide variety of studies, data releases, and scientific publications:
March 3, 2024
Aerial imagery and other remotely-sensed data from a UAS survey of Pepperwood Preserve, Sonoma County, CA
January 29, 2024
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge Texas: Using drone acquired 2019 imagery to classify sudden dieback vegetation in Coastal TX wetlands
January 1, 2024
An open-source workflow for scaling burn severity metrics from drone to satellite to support post-fire watershed management
December 19, 2023
The 2022 Chaos Canyon landslide in Colorado: Insights revealed by seismic analysis, field investigations, and remote sensing
September 27, 2023
Multispectral images and field measurements of water depth from the Sacramento River near Glenn, California, acquired September 14-16, 2021
September 15, 2023
Discharge Estimation Using Video Recordings from Small Unoccupied Aircraft Systems
July 25, 2023
Guidelines for Calibration of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Imagery
May 15, 2023
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau: Coastal Threats to the Hawaiian Sites and Landscapes
April 12, 2023
UAS-Based Observations of Infrasound Directionality at Stromboli Volcano, Italy
March 31, 2023
Rapid-response digital elevation models of the 2020–present summit eruptions at Kīlauea Volcano, Island of Hawaiʻi
March 28, 2023
The Future of Emissions Testing is Looking Up: How EPA is Using Drones to Test Air Quality
February 23, 2023
Topobathymetric Model of Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park, 2011 to 2019 – Field Survey Source and Validation Data
February 8, 2023
A comparison of direct & indirect survey methods for estimating colonial nesting waterbird populations
January 17, 2023
Beyond presence mapping: predicting fractional cover of non-native vegetation in Sentinel-2 imagery using an ensemble of MaxEnt models
January 11, 2023
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from a UAS survey of the Los Padres Reservoir delta, Carmel River valley, CA, 2017-11-01
December 8, 2022
Assessing the seasonal evolution of snow depth spatial variability and scaling in complex mountain terrain
August 24, 2022
Democratizing macroecology: Integrating unoccupied aerial systems with the National Ecological Observatory Network
June 6, 2022
Regional walrus abundance estimate in the United States Chukchi Sea in autumn
May 24, 2022
Get to know the scientists behind snow to flow: The study of snowmelt in the Western U.S.
May 24, 2022
Walruses are skittish. That’s why this scientist is using drones to count them.
March 9, 2022
Colorado River at Windy Gap near Granby, CO - 2021/07/27 Water Surface Velocity Map Using Particle Image Velocimetry
February 23, 2022
UAV based vegetation classification results and input NDVI, vegetation height, and texture datasets for two Montana rangeland sites in 2018
February 21, 2022
Rockfall Kinematics from Massive Rock Cliffs: Outlier Boulders and Flyrock from Whitney Portal, California, Rockfalls
February 14, 2022
Small Unoccupied Aircraft System Imagery and Associated Data used for Discharge Measurement at Eight Locations Across the United States in 2019 and 2020
December 9, 2021
Spectral reflectance measurements of radiometric calibration panels for UAS image calibration
October 19, 2021
Snow Depth Retrieval With an Autonomous UAV-Mounted Software-Defined Radar
October 2021
Developing bare-earth digital elevation models from structure-from-motion data on barrier islands
September 15, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at West Whidbey Island, WA, June 2019
September 15, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, WA, June 2019
July 22, 2021
Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) video of the 2018 summit eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii
March 18, 2021
Enumerating White‐Tailed Deer Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
March 18, 2021
Lava effusion rate evolution and erupted volume during the 2018 Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption
February 22, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Post Point, Bellingham Bay, WA, June 2019
February 22, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park, Tacoma, WA, June 2019
February 18, 2021
Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) video of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii
November 29, 2020
Fossil Hunting Is Entering a New Technological Age
November 20, 2020
Small atoll fresh groundwater lenses respond to a combination of natural climatic cycles and human modified geology
October 12, 2020
QCam: sUAS-Based Doppler Radar for Measuring River Discharge
September 25, 2020
From Lava to Water: A New Era at Kilauea
September 25, 2020
Predicting Bird Guilds Using Vegetation Composition and Structure on a Wild and Scenic River in Arizona
September 19, 2020
Ultra‐high‐resolution mapping of biocrusts with Unmanned Aerial Systems
June 2, 2020
CountryMapper Sensor Validation Survey Data
April 9, 2020
Volcanological applications of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS): Developments, strategies, and future challenges
December 12, 2019
Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano: data release
December 6, 2019
Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano
December 2019
Reach-Scale Monitoring and Modeling of Rivers - Expanding Hydraulic Data Collection Beyond the Cross Section
2019
Reach-Scale Monitoring Network
November 19, 2019
Orthoimagery and elevation data derived from UAS imagery for Palmyra Atoll, USA 2016
November 8, 2019
Variable normal-fault rupture behavior, northern Lost River fault zone, Idaho, USA
August 6, 2019
Orthoimagery and elevation data for Bluffton Native Habitat Waterway, Indiana, 2016
April 29, 2019
A partnership to protect critical infrastructure
January 25, 2019
The 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea Volcano
July 17, 2018
Understanding Floods | Long-term Streamflow Data Collection
May 8, 2018
Advances in Streamgaging | Reach-Scale Monitoring Experiment (2 of 2)
January 30, 2018
UAS imagery acquisition for McFaddin NWR and J.D. Murphree WMA acquired fall 2017
June 15, 2017
UAV lidar and hyperspectral fusion for forest monitoring in the southwestern USA
2017
Drones for Three-Dimensional Modeling of Devil’s Tower National Monument