Photogrammetric digital surface models and orthoimagery for 26 coastal communities of western Alaska

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Frequently anticipated questions:


What does this data set describe?

Title:
Photogrammetric digital surface models and orthoimagery for 26 coastal communities of western Alaska
Abstract:
The State of Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys acquired photogrammetric digital surface models (DSMs) and co-registered orthorectified aerial images (orthoimages) for the west coast of Alaska in support of coastal vulnerability mapping efforts. This report is a summary of the data collected over 26 developed areas along approximately 3,500 km of coastline in the Bering Sea, Norton Sound, and Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta regions (fig. 1). Aerial photographs were collected between July 31 and September 6, 2015, and processed using Structure from- Motion (SfM) photogrammetry techniques. Ground control points (GCPs) and checkpoints were collected in support of these data products during a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) survey conducted between August 15 and September 14, 2015. For the purposes of open access to elevation and orthoimagery datasets in coastal regions of Alaska, this collection is being released as a Raw Data File with an open end-user license. The data available for each of the 26 communities consist of the following: (1) Orthoimage raster, (2) Digital Surface Model (DSM) raster, (3) Hillshade raster produced from DSM, and (4) an Orthoimage Hillshade combination raster.
Supplemental_Information:
orthoimagery:    Orthoimages contain 3-band, 8-bit, unsigned raster data (red/green/blue; the No Data value is set to 0. The file employs Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW) compression. Light exposures in the orthoimages are a result of daily weather conditions, which ranged from low cloud cover, rain, and full sun;
digital surface model:    The single-band, 32-bit float DSMs represent surface elevations of buildings, vegetation, and uncovered ground surfaces. The No Data value is set to -32767. The file employs LZW compression;
DSM hillshade:    The single-band, 8-bit, unsigned integer rasters represent hillshading of the DSM. The No Data value is set to 255. The file employs LZW compression and has the same spatial resolution as the DSM. The hillshade was produced using Blue Marble Geographic's Global Mapper GIS application;
orthoimagery hillshade combination raster:    The orthoimagery hillshade combination rasters contain 3-band, 8-bit, unsigned raster data and represents a hillshade-tinted orthoimage. The No Data value is set to 0. The file employs LZW compression. The file was produced with ESRI's ArcGIS using Raster Function templates. This file has the same spatial resolution as its originating DSM;
community data extent polygon file:    One polygon shapefile is available that shows the data extent and data attributes for all 26 communities; Note: this file is provided in NAD 1983, UTM Zone 3 coordinates.
  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Overbeck, J.R., Hendricks, M.D., and Kinsman, N.E.M., 2016, Photogrammetric digital surface models and orthoimagery for 26 coastal communities of western Alaska: Raw Data File RDF 2016-1, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 3 p.

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -168.133607
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -160.423319
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 65.676650
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 59.803846

  3. What does it look like?

  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

    Calendar_Date: 2015
    Currentness_Reference: ground condition

  5. What is the general form of this data set?

    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: report and digital data

  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?

    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

      This is a raster data set.

    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
      Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
      UTM_Zone_Number: 3
      Transverse_Mercator:
      Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.999600
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -165
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0
      False_Easting: 500000.000000
      False_Northing: 0

      Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest .00000001
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest .00000001
      Planar coordinates are specified in Meters

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is GRS 80.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222101.

      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
      Altitude_System_Definition:
      Altitude_Datum_Name: NAVD88; Geoid12A; EPOCH 2010.00
      Altitude_Resolution: 6.2
      Altitude_Distance_Units: centimeters
      Altitude_Encoding_Method: Implicit coordinate

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

    orthoimagery
    Orthoimages contain 3-band, 8-bit, unsigned raster data (red/green/blue; the No Data value is set to 0. The file employs Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW) compression. Light exposures in the orthoimages are a result of daily weather conditions, which ranged from low cloud cover, rain, and full sun; File format: GeoTIFF. (Source: Fairbanks Fodar)

    digital surface model
    The single-band, 32-bit float DSMs represent surface elevations of buildings, vegetation, and uncovered ground surfaces. The No Data value is set to -32767. The file employs LZW compression; File format: GeoTIFF. (Source: Fairbanks Fodar)

    DSM hillshade
    The single-band, 8-bit, unsigned integer rasters represent hillshading of the DSM. The No Data value is set to 255. The file employs LZW compression and has the same spatial resolution as the DSM. The hillshade was produced using Blue Marble Geographic's Global Mapper GIS application; File format: GeoTIFF. (Source: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS))

    orthoimagery hillshade combination raster
    The orthoimagery hillshade combination rasters contain 3-band, 8-bit, unsigned raster data and represents a hillshade-tinted orthoimage. The No Data value is set to 0. The file employs LZW compression. The file was produced with ESRI's ArcGIS using Raster Function templates. This file has the same spatial resolution as its originating DSM; File format: GeoTIFF. (Source: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS))

    community data extent polygon file
    One polygon shapefile is available that shows the data extent and data attributes for all 26 communities; Note: this file is provided in NAD 1983, UTM Zone 3 coordinates. File format: shapefile. (Source: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS))

    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    Shapefile attribute descriptions for the community data extent polygon file are:
    Field:		Description
    community:	Community name
    code:		3 digit airport code for community
    ortho_gsd:	Orthoimage ground sample distance (gsd), that is, raster cell size, in meters
    dsm_gsd:	DSM ground sample distance (gsd), that is, raster cell size, in meters
    vert_shift:	Vertical shift, in meters
    Rmse:		Root mean square error (RMSE) in meters
    Num_pts:	Number of points used to calculate RMSE
    Utm_zone: 	UTM zone of the delivered data
    ortho_gb: 	Size, in gigabytes, of orthoimage raster file
    dsm_gb: 	Size, in gigabytes, of DSM raster file
    dsm_hs_gb: 	Size, in gigabytes, of DSM hillshade raster file
    tint_gb: 	Size, in gigabytes, of orthoimage hillshade tint raster file
    
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: this publication, accompanying report


Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)

  2. Who also contributed to the data set?

    This publication is funded with qualified outer continental shelf oil and gas revenues by the Coastal Impact Assistance Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government.

  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?

    Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
    GIS Manager
    3354 College Rd
    Fairbanks, AK 99709-3707
    USA

    907-451-5020 (voice)
    dggsgis@alaska.gov

    Hours_of_Service: 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, except State holidays


Why was the data set created?

The State of Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys acquired photogrammetric digital surface models (DSMs) and co-registered orthorectified aerial images (orthoimages) for the west coast of Alaska in support of coastal vulnerability mapping efforts. For the purposes of open access to elevation and orthoimagery datasets in coastal regions of Alaska, this collection is being released as a Raw Data File with an open end-user license.


How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

    Date: 2015 (process 1 of 1)
    Data processing - Aerial survey GNSS data were processed using Waypoint's Grafnav commercial GNSS software using GPS constellation. Each project was processed using either post-processing kinematic (PPK) or precise point positioning (PPP) methods, depending on the quality of the solution, which was primarily dependent on the distance from Continually Operating Reference Stations (CORS), such that all flights resulted in data with better than 10 cm separation in forward and reverse trajectory solutions. GPS data were processed to the North American Datum 1983 (NAD83; 2011) European Petroleum Survey Group Well Known Identification Number (EPSG) 6318, and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88; Geoid12A; EPOCH 2010.00). Photos were individually processed for optimum contrast and exposure using Adobe Camera Raw. To accommodate the large data acquisition volumes, most photos were shot and processed to JPEG format. Aerial survey GPS data (event marker coordinates) were manually correlated to image filenames using the image timestamp to create a camera external orientation file for import into Agisoft Photoscan Professional (Photoscan) software. The external orientation file provides the X, Y, Z position of the camera for each photograph taken during the survey. Aerial stereophotographs were imported into the photogrammetric software, which uses an SfM algorithm to create a three-dimensional terrain model from the stereo-imagery. The terrain model was then used to orthometrically correct the photos and produce the final orthoimage mosaic in Photoscan. Within the Photoscan software application, standard workflow steps were followed: photo-alignment, alignment optimization, dense point cloud building, mesh creation, DSM and orthoimage creation, and exporting the results.

  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?


How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?

    Community-specific data quality and reference information can be found in table 1 of the accompanying report. Known anomalies within the data exist on the DSMs over water bodies; these anomalies have not been edited in this data release. Because waves in the nearshore marine or lacustrine environment move at a higher speed than photo-collection, the SfM processing technique for producing DSMs defines those points irregularly (for an example, see fig. 2 of the accompanying report).

  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

    The aerial survey was planned so flight lines and photograph frequency provided 60 percent side lap and 80 percent end lap photo coverage, with flying heights between 800 and 2,700 ft (244-823 m) resulting in 10-20 cm ground sample distance (GSD; see table 1 of the accompanying report) of the aerial photos.

  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

    The vertical accuracies of the DSMs were evaluated by comparing both the GCP elevations and checkpoint elevations with the DSM elevations separately for each non-contiguous community (with the exception of Stebbins/Saint Michael, the data are not contiguous between communities). We reduced the residual difference between GCPs and DSM pixels to zero mean using a vertical shift (see table 1). The remaining residuals were used to determine the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) at each community, then combined to determine RMSE for the dataset as a whole. The final DSMs had a mean vertical residual of 6.2 cm with +/- one standard deviation of 5.2 cm, with 95 percent of all GCP and checkpoint residuals within 16.7 cm. The RMSE of all GCPs and checkpoints was 8.1 cm, but varied by location (see table 1).

  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

    This data release is complete.

  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

    not applicable


How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints:
This report, map, and/or dataset is available directly from the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (see contact information below).
Use_Constraints:
Any hard copies or published datasets utilizing these datasets shall clearly indicate their source. If the user has modified the data in any way, the user is obligated to describe the types of modifications the user has made. The user specifically agrees not to misrepresent these datasets, nor to imply that changes made by the user were approved by the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys. The State of Alaska makes no express or implied warranties (including warranties for merchantability and fitness) with respect to the character, functions, or capabilities of the electronic data or products or their appropriateness for any user's purposes. In no event will the State of Alaska be liable for any incidental, indirect, special, consequential, or other damages suffered by the user or any other person or entity whether from the use of the electronic services or products or any failure thereof or otherwise. In no event will the State of Alaska's liability to the Requestor or anyone else exceed the fee paid for the electronic service or product.

  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)

    Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
    3354 College Road
    Fairbanks, AK 99709-3707
    USA

    (907)451-5020 (voice)
    (907)451-5050 (FAX)
    dggspubs@alaska.gov

    Hours_of_Service: 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, except State holidays
    Contact_Instructions:
    Please view our website (<http://www.dggs.alaska.gov>) for the latest information on available data. Please contact us using the e-mail address provided above when possible.
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

    RDF 2016-1

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    The State of Alaska makes no expressed or implied warranties (including warranties for merchantability and fitness) with respect to the character, functions, or capabilities of the electronic data or products or their appropriateness for any user's purposes. In no event will the State of Alaska be liable for any incidental, indirect, special, consequential, or other damages suffered by the user or any other person or entity whether from the use of the electronic services or products or any failure thereof or otherwise. In no event will the State of Alaska's liability to the Requestor or anyone else exceed the fee paid for the electronic service or product.

  4. How can I download or order the data?


Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 29-Apr-2016
Metadata author:
Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
Metadata Manager
3354 College Road
Fairbanks, AK 99709-3707
USA

(907)451-5020 (voice)

Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
Metadata extensions used:


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