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EAARL-B Submerged Topography - Saint Croix and Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, 2014

Published by Office for Coastal Management | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: December 19, 2025 | Last Modified: 2015-07-25T00:00:00.000+00:00
Binary point-cloud data for part of the submerged environs of Saint Croix and Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, were produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements by the U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coral Reef Conservation Program. Elevation measurements were collected over the area using the second-generation Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar, a pulsed laser ranging system mounted onboard an aircraft to measure ground elevation, vegetation canopy, and coastal topography. The system uses high-frequency laser beams directed at the Earth's surface through an opening in the bottom of the aircraft's fuselage. The laser system records the time difference between emission of the laser beam and the reception of the reflected laser signal in the aircraft. The plane travels over the target area at approximately 55 meters per second at an elevation of approximately 300 meters, resulting in a laser swath of approximately 240 meters with an average point spacing of 0.5-1.6 meters. The nominal vertical elevation accuracy expressed as the root mean square error (RMSE) is 13.5 centimeters on Saint Croix. Data were insufficient to calculate the nominal vertical elevation accuracy expressed as the root mean square error (RMSE) on Saint Thomas. A peak sampling rate of 15-30 kilohertz results in an extremely dense spatial elevation dataset. More than 100 kilometers of coastline can be surveyed easily within a 3- to 4-hour mission. When resultant elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to make management decisions regarding land development. Original contact information: Contact Name: Xan Fredericks Contact Org: Cherokee Nation Technology Solutions, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, FL Title: Lidar Validation and Processing Analyst Phone: 727 502-8086 Email: afredericks@usgs.gov

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EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > TOPOGRAPHY > TERRAIN ELEVATION > TOPOGRAPHICAL RELIEF MAPS EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY > SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > COASTAL PROCESSES > COASTAL ELEVATION OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA > VIRGIN ISLANDS LIDAR > Light Detection and Ranging Geographic Information > LiDAR EARTH SCIENCE > Land Surface > Topography> Terrain Elevation EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Bathymetry ALPS Airborne Lidar Processing System Cessna 310 DEM Digital Elevation Model EAARL-B Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar laser altimetry lidar remote sensing topography 2014 Submerged DOI/USGS/CMG > COASTAL AND MARINE GEOLOGY OCEAN > BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY > SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY OCEAN > COASTAL PROCESSES > COASTAL ELEVATION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > U. S. Virgin Islands > U. S. Virgin Islands (17N064W0000) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Lesser Antilles > U. S. Virgin Islands (17N064W0000) Caribbean Saint Croix Saint Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands DOC/NOAA/NOS/OCM > Office of Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce Lidar

Complete Metadata
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describedByType application/octet-steam
description Binary point-cloud data for part of the submerged environs of Saint Croix and Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, were produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements by the U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coral Reef Conservation Program. Elevation measurements were collected over the area using the second-generation Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar, a pulsed laser ranging system mounted onboard an aircraft to measure ground elevation, vegetation canopy, and coastal topography. The system uses high-frequency laser beams directed at the Earth's surface through an opening in the bottom of the aircraft's fuselage. The laser system records the time difference between emission of the laser beam and the reception of the reflected laser signal in the aircraft. The plane travels over the target area at approximately 55 meters per second at an elevation of approximately 300 meters, resulting in a laser swath of approximately 240 meters with an average point spacing of 0.5-1.6 meters. The nominal vertical elevation accuracy expressed as the root mean square error (RMSE) is 13.5 centimeters on Saint Croix. Data were insufficient to calculate the nominal vertical elevation accuracy expressed as the root mean square error (RMSE) on Saint Thomas. A peak sampling rate of 15-30 kilohertz results in an extremely dense spatial elevation dataset. More than 100 kilometers of coastline can be surveyed easily within a 3- to 4-hour mission. When resultant elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to make management decisions regarding land development. Original contact information: Contact Name: Xan Fredericks Contact Org: Cherokee Nation Technology Solutions, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, FL Title: Lidar Validation and Processing Analyst Phone: 727 502-8086 Email: afredericks@usgs.gov
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identifier gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:48140
issued 2015-07-25T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
  "EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > TOPOGRAPHY > TERRAIN ELEVATION > TOPOGRAPHICAL RELIEF MAPS",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY > SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > COASTAL PROCESSES > COASTAL ELEVATION",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA > VIRGIN ISLANDS",
  "LIDAR > Light Detection and Ranging",
  "Geographic Information > LiDAR",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Land Surface > Topography> Terrain Elevation",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Bathymetry",
  "ALPS",
  "Airborne Lidar Processing System",
  "Cessna 310",
  "DEM",
  "Digital Elevation Model",
  "EAARL-B",
  "Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar",
  "laser altimetry",
  "lidar",
  "remote sensing",
  "topography",
  "2014",
  "Submerged",
  "DOI/USGS/CMG > COASTAL AND MARINE GEOLOGY",
  "OCEAN > BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY > SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY",
  "OCEAN > COASTAL PROCESSES > COASTAL ELEVATION",
  "U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR",
  "U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > U. S. Virgin Islands > U. S. Virgin Islands (17N064W0000)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Lesser Antilles > U. S. Virgin Islands (17N064W0000)",
  "Caribbean",
  "Saint Croix",
  "Saint Thomas",
  "U.S. Virgin Islands",
  "DOC/NOAA/NOS/OCM > Office of Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "Lidar"
]
landingPage https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/48140
language 
                                            []
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2015-07-25T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "Office for Coastal Management",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
                                            [
  "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/ocm/dmp/pdf/48140.pdf"
]
rights otherRestrictions, unclassified
spatial -64.41490881,17.75629702,-65.27130878,18.369432
title EAARL-B Submerged Topography - Saint Croix and Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, 2014

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