In this joint demonstration project for the Tampa Bay region, NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have merged NOAA bathymetric and USGS topographic data sets into a hybrid digital elevation model (DEM) with all data initially referenced to the ellipsoid, but transformable to any of 28 orthometric, 3-D, or tidal datums.A seamless bathymetric/topographic digital elevation model (DEM) was developed by merging the "best available" bathymetric data from NOAA and topographic data for USGS. Each of the datasets was initially processed independently to apply the "best available" criteria to select the data to be merged. Prior to merging, the selected data were transformed to a common reference coordinate system, both horizontally and vertically.The selected topography points within the shoreline buffer zone and the bathymetry points were gridded to produce a raster surface model with a 1-arc-second (30-meter) grid spacing to match the resolution of NED. The points were input to an implementation of the ANUDEM thin plate spline interpolation algorithm, which is optimized for generation of topographic surfaces. The bathymetry points could have been gridded independently of the topographic data, but the shoreline zone land elevations were included in the interpolation to ensure a better match of the bathymetric and topographic surfaces for the subsequent mosaicing step. To avoid introduction of any interpolation edge effects into the merged elevation model, the output grid from the interpolation was clipped to include only land elevations within 300 meters of the shoreline.The final processing step involved the mosaicing of the bathymetry grid and the NED elevation grid. The values in the 300-meter overlap area were blended by weighted averaging, where the weights for each grid are determined on a cell-by-cell basis according to the cell's proximity to the edges of the overlap area. The resulting final merged product is a seamless bathymetric/topographic model covering the Tampa Bay region at a grid spacing of 1-arc-second (30-meter). The vertical coordinates represent elevation in decimal meters relative to the GRS80 ellipsoid, and the horizontal coordinates are decimal degrees of latitude and longitude referenced to the NAD83 datum.This dataset is intended for geospatial applications that require seamless land elevation and water depth information in coastal environments.
Elevation maps (also known as Digital Elevation Models or DEMs) of Gulf Islands National Seashore were produced from remotely-sensed, geographically-referenced elevation measurements in cooperation with NASA and NPS. Point data in ascii text files were interpolated in a GIS to create a grid or digital elevation model (DEM) of each beach surface. Elevation measurements were collected in Florida, Mississippi and Texas, over Gulf Islands National Seashore, using the NASA Experimental Advanced Airborne Research LiDAR (EAARL), a pulsed laser ranging system mounted onboard an aircraft to measure ground elevation 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 beach at approximately 60 meters per second while surveying from the low-water line to the landward base of the sand dunes. The EAARL, developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) located at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, measures ground elevation with a vertical resolution of 15 centimeters. A sampling rate of 3 kHz or higher results in an extremely dense spatial elevation data set. Over 100 kilometers of coastline can be easily surveyed within a 3- to 4-hour mission time period. The ability to sample large areas rapidly and accurately is especially useful in morphologically dynamic areas such as barrier beaches. Quick assessment of topographic change can be made following storms comparing measurements against baseline data. When subsequent elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to make management decisions regarding coastal development.
For more information on Lidar science and the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) system and surveys, see http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/overview/index.php and http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/tech/eaarl/index.php .
The High Accuracy Elevation Data Project collected elevation data (meters) on a 400 meter topographic grid with a vertical accuracy of +/- 15 centimeters to define the topography in South Florida. The data are referenced to the horizontal datum North American Datum 1983 (NAD 83) and the vertical datum North American Vertical Datum 1988 (NAVD 88). In some areas, the surveying was accomplished using airboats. Because access was a logistical problem with airboats, the USGS developed a helicopter-based instrument known as the Airborne Height Finder (AHF). All subsequent data collection used the AHF. Data were collected from the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, south through the Water Conservation Areas (1A, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B), Big Cypress National Park, the Everglades National Park, to the Florida Bay. The data are available for the areas shown on the USGS High Accuracy Elevation Data graphic at http://sofia.usgs.gov/exchange/desmond/desmondelev.html . The work was performed for Everglades ecosystem restoration purposes.
The data are from regional topographic surveys to collect and provide elevation data to parameterize hydrologic and ecological numerical simulation models that are being developed for ecosystem restoration activities. Surveying services were also rendered to provide vertical reference points for numerous water level gauges. Modeling of sheet flow and water surface levels in the wetlands of South Florida is very sensitive to changes in elevation due to the expansive and extremely low relief terrain. Hydrologists determined minimum vertical accuracy requirements for the elevation data for use as input to hydrologic models. As a result, elevation data with a vertical accuracy specification of +/-15 centimeters (cm) relative to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) were collected in critical areas using state-of-the-art differential global positioning system (GPS) technology and data processing techniques.
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The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the 1930’s and 2002 in the Upper Florida Keys (UFK) from Triumph Reef to Pickles Reef within a 234.2 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Yates and others (2017a) derived from an elevation-change analysis between two elevation datasets acquired in the 1930’s and 2001/2002 using the methods of Yates and others (2017b). Most of the elevation data from the 2001/2002 time period were collected during 2002, so as an abbreviated naming convention, we refer to this time period as 2002. A seafloor stability threshold was determined for the 1930’s-2002 UFK elevation-change dataset based on the vertical uncertainty of the 1930’s historical hydrographic surveys and 2002 digital elevation models (DEMs). Five stability categories (which incl ...
NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) is building high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) for select U.S. coastal regions. These integrated bathymetric-topographic DEMs are used to support individual coastal States as part of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program's (NTHMP) efforts to improve community preparedness and hazard mitigation. Bathymetric, topographic, and shoreline data used in DEM compilation are obtained from various sources including: NOAA; the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); and other federal, state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, and private companies. DEMs are referenced to the vertical datum of NAVD 88 and horizontal datum of World Geodetic System 1984 geographic (WGS 84). Grid spacing for the DEM is 1/3 arc-second (~10 meters).
A digital elevation model (DEM) of a portion of the eastern Florida coastline was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Kennedy Space Center, FL. Elevation measurements were collected over the area using the NASA Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), 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 50 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 2-3 meters. The EAARL, developed by NASA at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, measures ground elevation with a vertical resolution of +/-15 centimeters. A sampling rate of 3 kilohertz or higher results in an extremely dense spatial elevation dataset. Over 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. For more information on Lidar science and the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) system and surveys, see http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/overview/index.php and http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/tech/eaarl/index.php .
A digital elevation model (DEM) of a portion of the eastern Florida coastline, post-Hurricane Jeanne (September 2004 hurricane), was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Elevation measurements were collected over the area using the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), 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 50 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 2-3 meters. The EAARL, developed originally by NASA at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, measures ground elevation with a vertical resolution of +/-15 centimeters. A sampling rate of 3 kilohertz or higher results in an extremely dense spatial elevation dataset. Over 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. For more information on Lidar science and the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) system and surveys, see http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/overview/index.php and http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/tech/eaarl/index.php .
These data were created as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management's efforts to create an online mapping viewer called the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer. It depicts potential sea level rise and its associated impacts on the nation's coastal areas. The purpose of the mapping viewer is to provide coastal managers and scientist...
description: The High Accuracy Elevation Data Project collected elevation data (meters) on a 400 meter topographic grid with a vertical accuracy of +/- 15 centimeters to define the topography in South Florida. The data are referenced to the horizontal datum North American Datum 1983 (NAD 83) and the vertical datum North American Vertical Datum 1988 (NAVD 88). The High Accuracy Elevation Data Project began with a pilot study in FY 1995 to determine if the then state-of-the-art GPS technology could be used to perform a topographic survey that would meet the vertical accuracy requirements of the hydrologic modeling community. The initial testing platform was from a truck and met the accuracy requirements. In some areas, the surveying was accomplished using airboats. Because access was a logistical problem with airboats, the USGS developed a helicopter-based instrument known as the Airborne Height Finder (AHF). All subsequent data collection used the AHF. Data were collected from the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, south through the Water Conservation Areas (1A, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B), Big Cypress National Park, the Everglades National Park, to the Florida Bay. Data were also collected in the Lake Okeechobee littoral zone. The data are available for the areas shown on the USGS High Accuracy Elevation Data graphic at https://sofia.usgs.gov/exchange/desmond/desmondelev.html. The work was performed for Everglades ecosystem restoration purposes. The project started in 1995 and concluded in 2007.; abstract: The High Accuracy Elevation Data Project collected elevation data (meters) on a 400 meter topographic grid with a vertical accuracy of +/- 15 centimeters to define the topography in South Florida. The data are referenced to the horizontal datum North American Datum 1983 (NAD 83) and the vertical datum North American Vertical Datum 1988 (NAVD 88). The High Accuracy Elevation Data Project began with a pilot study in FY 1995 to determine if the then state-of-the-art GPS technology could be used to perform a topographic survey that would meet the vertical accuracy requirements of the hydrologic modeling community. The initial testing platform was from a truck and met the accuracy requirements. In some areas, the surveying was accomplished using airboats. Because access was a logistical problem with airboats, the USGS developed a helicopter-based instrument known as the Airborne Height Finder (AHF). All subsequent data collection used the AHF. Data were collected from the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, south through the Water Conservation Areas (1A, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B), Big Cypress National Park, the Everglades National Park, to the Florida Bay. Data were also collected in the Lake Okeechobee littoral zone. The data are available for the areas shown on the USGS High Accuracy Elevation Data graphic at https://sofia.usgs.gov/exchange/desmond/desmondelev.html. The work was performed for Everglades ecosystem restoration purposes. The project started in 1995 and concluded in 2007.
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A first-surface elevation map (also known as a Digital Elevation Model, or DEM) of a portion of western Florida, post-Hurricane Charley, was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Elevation measurements were collected over the area using the NASA Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), 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 50 meters per second at an elevation of approximately 300 meters. The EA ...
NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information is building high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) to support individual coastal States as part of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program's (NTHMP) efforts to improve community preparedness and hazard mitigation. These integrated bathymetric-topographic DEMs are used to support tsunami and coastal inundation mapping. Bathymetric, topographic, and shoreline data used in DEM compilation are obtained from various sources, including NGDC, the U.S. National Ocean Service (NOS), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other federal, state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, and private companies. DEMs are referenced to various vertical and horizontal datums depending on the specific modeling requirements of each State. For specific datum information on each DEM, refer to the appropriate DEM documentation. Cell sizes also vary depending on the specification required by modelers in each State, but typically range from 1/3 arc-second (~10 meters) to 8 arc-seconds (~240 meters).
NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) is building high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) for select U.S. coastal regions in the Gulf of Mexico. These integrated bathymetric-topographic DEMs were developed for NOAA Coast Survey Development Laboratory (CSDL) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to evaluate the utility of the Vertical Datum Transformation tool (VDatum), developed jointly by NOAA's Office of Coast Survey (OCS), National Geodetic Survey (NGS), and Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS). Bathymetric, topographic, and shoreline data used in DEM compilation are obtained from various sources, including NGDC, the U.S. Coastal Services Center (CSC), the U.S. Office of Coast Survey (OCS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and other federal, state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, and private companies. DEMs are referenced to the vertical tidal datum of North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) or Mean High Water (MHW) and horizontal datum of North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83). Grid spacings for both DEMs are 1/3 arc-second (~10 meters).
A digital elevation map (also known as a Digital Elevation Model, or DEM) of a portion of the eastern Florida coastline was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Elevation measurements were collected over the area using the NASA Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), 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 50 meters per second at an elevation of approximately 300 meters. The EAARL, developed by NASA at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, measures ground elevation with a vertical resolution of +/-15 centimeters. A sampling rate of 3 kilohertz or higher results in an extremely dense spatial elevation dataset. Over 100 kilometers of coastline can be surveyed easily within a 3- to 4-hour mission. When subsequent elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to make management decisions regarding land development. For more information on Lidar science and the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) system and surveys, see http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/overview/index.php and http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/tech/eaarl/index.php .
This dataset was created to represent the land surface elevation at 1:24,000 scale for Florida. The elevation contour lines representing the land surface elevation were digitized from United States Geological survey 1:24,000 (7.5 minute) quadrangles and were compiled by South Florida, South West Florida, St. Johns River and Suwannee River Water Management Districts and FDEP. QA and corrections to the data were supplied by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Florida Geological Survey and the Division of Water Resource Management. This data, representing over 1,000 USGS topographic maps, spans a variety of contour intervals including 1 and 2 meter and 5 and 10 foot. The elevation values have been normalized to feet in the final data layer. Attributes for closed topographic depressions were also captured where closed (hautchered) features were identified and the lowest elevation determined using the closest contour line minus one-half the contour interval. This data was derived from the USGS 1:24,000 topographic map series. The data is more than 20 years old and is likely out-of-date in areas of high human activity.
NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) is building high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) for select U.S. coastal regions. These integrated bathymetric-topographic DEMs are used to support tsunami forecasting and warning efforts at the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL). The DEMs are part of the tsunami forecast system SIFT (Short-term Inundation Forecasting for Tsunamis) currently being developed by PMEL for the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers, and are used in the MOST (Method of Splitting Tsunami) model developed by PMEL to simulate tsunami generation, propagation, and inundation. Bathymetric, topographic, and shoreline data used in DEM compilation are obtained from various sources, including NGDC, the U.S. National Ocean Service (NOS), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other federal, state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, and private companies. DEMs are referenced to a vertical tidal datum of Mean High Water (MHW) or NAVD 88 and horizontal datum of World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84). Grid spacings for the DEMs range from 1/3 arc-second (~10 meters) to 3 arc-seconds (~90 meters).
This map presents land cover and detailed topographic maps for the United States. The map includes the National Park Service (NPS) Natural Earth physical map at 1.24km per pixel for the world at small scales, i-cubed eTOPO 1:250,000-scale maps for the contiguous United States at medium scales, and National Geographic TOPO! 1:100,000 and 1:24,000-scale maps (1:250,000 and 1:63,000 in Alaska) for the United States at large scales. The TOPO! maps are seamless, scanned images of United States Geological Survey (USGS) paper topographic maps. Please reference the metadata for contact information.
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The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the years of 2016 and 2017 at Looe Key coral reef near Big Pine Key, Florida (FL), within a 19.74 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Yates and others (2019) derived from an elevation-change analysis between two elevation datasets acquired in 2016 and 2017 using the methods of Yates and others (2017). A seafloor stability threshold was determined for the 2016-2017 Looe Key elevation-change dataset based on the vertical uncertainty of the 2016 and 2017 digital elevation models (DEMs). Five stability categories (which include, Stable: 0.0 meters (m) to ±0.24 m or 0.0 m to ±0.49 m; Moderately stable: ±0.25 m to ±0.49 m; Moderately unstable: ±0.50 m to ±0.74 m; Mostly unstable: ±0.75 m to ±0.99 m; and Unstable: ±1.00 m to Max/Min e ...
description: A submerged topography digital elevation model (DEM) mosaic for a portion of the submerged environs of Crocker Reef, Florida, was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements collected on April 13 and 22, 2014 by the U.S. Geological Survey. Elevation measurements were collected over the area using the second-generation Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL-B), 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 density of 0.9 points per square meter. 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.; abstract: A submerged topography digital elevation model (DEM) mosaic for a portion of the submerged environs of Crocker Reef, Florida, was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements collected on April 13 and 22, 2014 by the U.S. Geological Survey. Elevation measurements were collected over the area using the second-generation Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL-B), 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 density of 0.9 points per square meter. 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.
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The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the years of 2016 and 2019 along the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) from Miami to Key West within a 939.4 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Fehr and others (2021) derived from an elevation-change analysis between two elevation datasets acquired in 2016/2017 and 2019 using the methods of Yates and others (2017). Most of the elevation data from the 2016/2017 time period were collected during 2016, so as an abbreviated naming convention, we refer to this time period as 2016. Due to file size limitations, the elevation-change data was divided into five blocks. A seafloor stability threshold was determined for the 2016-2019 FRT elevation-change datasets based on the vertical uncertainty of the 2016 and 2019 digital elevation models (DEM ...
A bare-earth digital elevation map (also known as a Digital Elevation Model, or DEM) of a portion of the eastern Florida coastline was produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Elevation measurements were collected over the area using the NASA Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), 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 50 meters per second at an elevation of approximately 300 meters. The EAARL, developed by NASA at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, measures ground elevation with a vertical resolution of +/-15 centimeters. A sampling rate of 3 kilohertz or higher results in an extremely dense spatial elevation dataset. Over 100 kilometers of coastline can be surveyed easily within a 3- to 4-hour mission. When subsequent elevation maps for an area are analyzed, they provide a useful tool to make management decisions regarding land development. For more information on Lidar science and the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) system and surveys, see http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/overview/index.php and http://ngom.usgs.gov/dsp/tech/eaarl/index.php .
In this joint demonstration project for the Tampa Bay region, NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have merged NOAA bathymetric and USGS topographic data sets into a hybrid digital elevation model (DEM) with all data initially referenced to the ellipsoid, but transformable to any of 28 orthometric, 3-D, or tidal datums.A seamless bathymetric/topographic digital elevation model (DEM) was developed by merging the "best available" bathymetric data from NOAA and topographic data for USGS. Each of the datasets was initially processed independently to apply the "best available" criteria to select the data to be merged. Prior to merging, the selected data were transformed to a common reference coordinate system, both horizontally and vertically.The selected topography points within the shoreline buffer zone and the bathymetry points were gridded to produce a raster surface model with a 1-arc-second (30-meter) grid spacing to match the resolution of NED. The points were input to an implementation of the ANUDEM thin plate spline interpolation algorithm, which is optimized for generation of topographic surfaces. The bathymetry points could have been gridded independently of the topographic data, but the shoreline zone land elevations were included in the interpolation to ensure a better match of the bathymetric and topographic surfaces for the subsequent mosaicing step. To avoid introduction of any interpolation edge effects into the merged elevation model, the output grid from the interpolation was clipped to include only land elevations within 300 meters of the shoreline.The final processing step involved the mosaicing of the bathymetry grid and the NED elevation grid. The values in the 300-meter overlap area were blended by weighted averaging, where the weights for each grid are determined on a cell-by-cell basis according to the cell's proximity to the edges of the overlap area. The resulting final merged product is a seamless bathymetric/topographic model covering the Tampa Bay region at a grid spacing of 1-arc-second (30-meter). The vertical coordinates represent elevation in decimal meters relative to the GRS80 ellipsoid, and the horizontal coordinates are decimal degrees of latitude and longitude referenced to the NAD83 datum.This dataset is intended for geospatial applications that require seamless land elevation and water depth information in coastal environments.