2017 OCM Unmanned Aerial Systems Lidar: San Francisco Bay NERR

Quantum Spatial (QSI) and PrecisionHawk (PH) collected lidar for a test site within the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (SFBNERR) Rush Ranch location using an unmanned aerial system (UAS). The target area covered approximately two square miles, although approximately three square miles of data were collected. A DJI Matrice 600 hexacopter platform was used, carrying a YellowScan lidar system. The system provides 2 returns (strongest and last) with a pulse rate of 300 kHz using a 903 nm wavelength laser. Flights were conducted from September 5-7, 2017 and were flown at 50 meters above ground level.

Specifications for the collection included 30 pulses per square meter and 0.10 meter RMSE vertical accuracy in non-vegetated areas. The average first return density was over 400 points per square meter. Classified ground point density varied spatially depending on vegetation with areas of no penetration and areas with over 60 ground points per square meter.

Deliverables included the lidar point cloud in LAS/LAZ format. Data were delivered in UTM zone 10 NAD83(2011) horizontally and NAVD88 (Geoid12b) meters vertically.

Lidar point clouds were projected back to geographic coordinates for storage in the Digital Coast Data Access Viewer and the vertical datum was converted to the ellipsoid.

Test the ability to provide lidar data from a UAS and determine if it is better able to penetrate marsh grasses.

The final report for this data has not been received as of February 27, 2018 as not all deliverables have been generated. This metadata should be updated when the report is received.

Any conclusions drawn from the analysis of this information are not the responsibility of the Quantum Spatial, PrecisionHawk, the Office for Coastal Management, or its partners.

This data can be obtained on-line at the following URL: https://coast.noaa.gov/dataviewer

None

Users should be aware that temporal changes may have occurred since this data set was collected and some parts of this data may no

longer represent actual surface conditions. Users should not use this data for critical applications without a full awareness of its

limitations.

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Vertical Accuracy reporting is designed to meet guidelines presented in the National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy (NSSDA) (FGDC, 1998) and the ASPRS Guidelines for Vertical Accuracy Reporting for LiDAR Data V1.0 (ASPRS, 2014). The statistical model compares known ground survey points (GSPs) to the closest laser point. Vertical accuracy statistical analysis uses ground survey points in open areas where the LiDAR system has a "very high probability" that the sensor will measure the ground surface and is evaluated at the 95th percentile.

For the San Francisco Bay NERR area, NOAA and San Francisco Bay NERR staff collected 62 points in non-vegetated areas for comparison. Analysis indicated a vertical RMSE of 0.047 meters.

LiDAR data has been collected and processed for all areas within the project study area.

Upon receipt from vendor (Quantum Spatial), all LiDAR data was independently reviewed by staff from the NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM) to ensure project specifications were met. All data were inventoried for completeness and data were checked for quality, which included examining LiDAR data for errors associated with internal data consistency, model quality, and accuracy.

Lidar data were acquire, processed, and delivered to NOAA by Quantum Spatial and PrecisionHawk. NOAA evaluated the data and processed it to the Digital Coast standard projection and datum for distribution.