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Low-altitude aerial imagery collected from a Helikite at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge DUNEX Site, North Carolina in September and October 2021

Published by U.S. Geological Survey | Department of the Interior | Metadata Last Checked: January 27, 2026 | Last Modified: 2022-06-07T00:00:00Z
The data in this part of the release are images of the beach for use in structure from motion that were taken with a camera attached to a helium filled balloon-kite (Helikite). During September and October 2021, USGS and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) scientists conducted multiple field surveys to collect an elevation time series at the USGS DUring Nearshore Event eXperiment (DUNEX) site on Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, NC. Agisoft Metashape (v. 1.8.1) was used to create orthomosaics and digital surface models with the collected imagery. DUNEX is a multi-agency, academic, and non-governmental organization collaborative community experiment designed to study nearshore coastal processes during storm events. USGS participation in DUNEX will contribute new measurements and models that will increase our understanding of storm impacts to coastal environments, including hazards to humans and infrastructure and changes in landscape and natural habitats.

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