Topographic point cloud for the intertidal zone at West Whidbey Island, WA, 2019-06-04

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Topographic point cloud for the intertidal zone at West Whidbey Island, WA, 2019-06-04
Abstract:
This portion of the data release presents a topographic point cloud of the intertidal zone at West Whidbey Island, WA. The point cloud was derived from structure-from-motion (SfM) processing of aerial imagery collected with an unmanned aerial system (UAS) on 2019-06-04. The point cloud has 293,261,002 points with an average point density of 1,063 points per-square meter. The point cloud is tiled to reduce individual file sizes and is grouped within a zip file for downloading. Each point in the point cloud contains an explicit horizontal and vertical coordinate, color, intensity, and classification. Water portions of the point cloud were classified using a polygon digitized from the orthomosaic imagery derived from these surveys (also available in this data release). No other classifications were performed. The raw imagery used to create these point clouds was acquired using a UAS fitted with a Ricoh GR II digital camera featuring a global shutter. The UAS was flown on pre-programmed autonomous flight lines spaced to provide approximately 70 percent overlap between images from adjacent lines. The camera was triggered at 1 Hz using a built-in intervalometer. The UAS was flown at an approximate altitude of 70 meters above ground level (AGL), resulting in a nominal ground-sample-distance (GSD) of 1.8 centimeters per pixel. Additional imagery was collected with the camera in an oblique orientation toward the coastal bluff face to image vertical faces. The raw imagery was geotagged using positions from the UAS onboard single-frequency autonomous GPS. Twenty-five temporary ground control points (GCPs) were distributed throughout the survey area to establish survey control. The GCPs consisted of a combination of small square tarps with black-and-white cross patterns and "X" marks placed on the ground using temporary chalk. The GCP positions were measured using post-processed kinematic (PPK) GPS, using corrections from a GPS base station located approximately 7 kilometers from the study area. The point clouds are formatted in LAZ format (LAS 1.2 specification).
Supplemental_Information:
Additional information about the field activity from which these data were derived is available online at:
https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2019-623-FA
Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Logan, Joshua B., Grossman, Eric E., VanArendonk, Nathan R., and Maverick, Avery F.G., 20210915, Topographic point cloud for the intertidal zone at West Whidbey Island, WA, 2019-06-04: data release DOI:10.5066/P9R76MVP, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Logan, Joshua B., Grossman, Eric E., VanArendonk, Nathan R., and Maverick, Avery F.G., 2021, Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at West Whidbey Island, WA, June 2019: data release DOI:10.5066/P9R76MVP, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, CA.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -122.74790
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -122.73654
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 48.27638
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 48.26540
  3. What does it look like?
    https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/5ef53efd82ced62aaae6a0c0?name=WestWhidbey_2019-06-04_pointcloud_browse.jpg&allow=openTrue (JPEG)
    Perspective view of the West Whidbey topographic point cloud from the 2019-06-04 UAS survey.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Calendar_Date: 04-Jun-2019
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition at time data were collected
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: point cloud digital data
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Point 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: 10
      Transverse_Mercator:
      Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.9996
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -123.0
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.0
      False_Easting: 500000.0
      False_Northing: 0.0
      Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.001
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.001
      Planar coordinates are specified in meters
      The horizontal datum used is NAD83 (National Spatial Reference System 2011) (EPSG:1116).
      The ellipsoid used is GRS 1980 (EPSG:7019).
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.0.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222101.
      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
      Altitude_System_Definition:
      Altitude_Datum_Name:
      North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (EPSG:5703), derived using GEOID12B
      Altitude_Resolution: 0.001
      Altitude_Distance_Units: meters
      Altitude_Encoding_Method:
      Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    The attribute information associated with point cloud follows the LAZ file standard. Attributes include location (northing, easting, and elevation in the NAD83(2011)/UTM zone 10N (EPSG:6339) horizontal and NAVD88 vertical coordinate systems), color (red, blue, and green components), intensity, and classification. All points are classified as 0 (unclassified) or 9 (water).
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
    American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS; 2013, https://www.asprs.org/committee-general/laser-las-file-format-exchange-activities.html) and Isenburg (2013, https://doi.org/10.14358/PERS.79.2.209)

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Joshua B. Logan
    • Eric E. Grossman
    • Nathan R. VanArendonk
    • Avery F.G. Maverick
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: PCMSC Science Data Coordinator
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA

    831-427-4747 (voice)
    pcmsc_data@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

These data were collected to characterize the morphology, substrate composition and roughness of intertidal areas to support modeling of coastal storm and wave impacts with sea-level rise as part of the USGS Puget Sound Coastal Storm Modeling System (PS-CoSMoS). The data are also intended to be used to model and evaluate sediment transport and its effects on coastal habitats, a focus of the USGS Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound Project (CHIPS) and its partners to inform resource management and adaptive planning for our Nation's coasts.

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: 04-Jun-2019 (process 1 of 5)
    Aerial imagery was collected using a Department of Interior-owned 3DR Solo quadcopter fitted with a Ricoh GR II digital camera featuring a global shutter. Flights using both a nadir camera orientation and an oblique camera orientation were conducted. For the nadir flights (F04, F05, F06, F07, and F08), the camera was mounted using a fixed mount on the bottom of the UAS and oriented in an approximately nadir orientation. The UAS was flown on pre-programmed autonomous flight lines at an approximate altitude of 70 meters above ground level (AGL), resulting in a nominal ground-sample-distance (GSD) of 1.8 centimeters per pixel. The flight lines were oriented roughly shore-parallel and were spaced to provide approximately 70 percent overlap between images from adjacent lines. For the oblique orientation flights (F03, F09, F10, and F11), the camera was mounted using a fixed mount on the bottom of the UAS and oriented facing forward with a downward tilt. The UAS was flown manually in a sideways-facing orientation with the camera pointed toward the bluff. Before each flight, the camera digital ISO, aperture, and shutter speed were manually set to adjust for ambient light conditions. Although these settings were changed between flights, they were not permitted to change during a flight; thus, the images from each flight were acquired with consistent camera settings. Person who carried out this activity:
    Joshua Logan
    U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Physical Scientist
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA
    US

    831-460-7519 (voice)
    831-427-4748 (FAX)
    jlogan@usgs.gov
    Date: 04-Jun-2019 (process 2 of 5)
    Ground control was established using ground control points (GCPs) consisting of small square tarps with black-and-white cross patterns and temporary chalk 'X' marks placed on the ground surface throughout the survey area. The GCP positions were measured using survey-grade GPS receivers operating in post-processed-kinematic (PPK) mode. The GPS receivers were placed on short fixed-height tripods and set to occupy each GCP for a minimum occupation time of one minute. The PPK corrections were referenced to a Continuously Operating Reference (CORS) GPS base station ('COUP') located approximately 7 kilometers from the study area operated by the Washington State Reference Network (WSRN). Person who carried out this activity:
    Joshua Logan
    U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA

    831-460-7519 (voice)
    jlogan@usgs.gov
    Date: 2019 (process 3 of 5)
    The image files were renamed using a custom python script. The file names were formed using the following pattern Fx-YYYYMMDDThhmmssZ_Ryz.*, where: - Fx = Flight number - YYYYMMDDThhmmssZ = date and time in the ISO 8601 standard, where 'T' separates the date from the time, and 'Z' denotes UTC ('Zulu') time. - Ry = RA or RB to distinguish camera 'RicohA' from 'RicohB' - z = original image name assigned by camera during acquisition - * = file extension (JPG or DNG)
    The approximate image acquisition coordinates were added to the image metadata (EXIF) ('geotagged') using the image timestamp and the telemetry logs from the UAS onboard single-frequency 1-Hz autonomous GPS. The geotagging process was done using a custom Python script which processes the GPS data from the UAS telemetry log and calls the command-line 'exiftool' software. To improve timestamp accuracy, the image acquisition times were adjusted to true ('corrected') UTC time by comparing the image timestamps with several images taken of a smartphone app ('Emerald Time') showing accurate time from Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers. For this survey, + 00:00:02 (2 seconds) were added to the image timestamp to synchronize with corrected UTC time. The positions stored in the EXIF are in geographic coordinates referenced to the WGS84(G1150) coordinate reference system (EPSG:7660), with elevation in meters relative to the WGS84 ellipsoid.
    Additional information was added to the EXIF using the command-line 'exiftool' software with the following command: exiftool ^ -P ^ -Copyright="Public Domain. Please credit U.S. Geological Survey." ^ -CopyrightNotice="Public Domain. Please credit U.S. Geological Survey." ^ -ImageDescription="Low-altitude aerial image of the intertidal zone on the west side of Whidbey Island, Washington, USA, from USGS survey 2019-623-FA." ^ -Caption-Abstract="Intertidal zone on the west side of Whidbey Island, Washington, USA, from USGS survey 2019-623-FA." ^ -Caption="Aerial image of the intertidal zone on the west side of Whidbey Island, Washington, USA, from USGS survey 2019-623-FA." ^ -sep ", " ^ -keywords="Marine Nearshore Intertidal, Whidbey Island, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Rosario Strait, Washington, 2019-623-FA, Unmanned Aircraft System, UAS, drone, aerial imagery, U.S. Geological Survey, USGS, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center" ^ -comment="Low-altitude aerial image from USGS Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) survey 2019-623-FA." ^ -Credit="U.S. Geological Survey" ^ -Contact="pcmsc_data@usgs.gov" ^ -Artist="U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center" ^ Person who carried out this activity:
    Joshua Logan
    U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA

    831-460-7519 (voice)
    jlogan@usgs.gov
    Date: 2019 (process 4 of 5)
    Structure-from-motion (SfM) processing techniques were used to create the point clouds in the Agisoft Photoscan/Metashape software package using the following workflow: 1. Initial image alignment was performed with the following parameters - Accuracy: 'high'; Pair selection: 'reference', 'generic'; Key point limit: 0 (unlimited); Tie point limit: 0 (unlimited). 2. Sparse point cloud error reduction was performed using an iterative gradual selection and camera optimization process with the following parameters: Reconstruction Uncertainty: 10; Projection Accuracy: 3. Lens calibration parameters f, cx, cy, k1, k2, k3, p1, and p2 were included in the optimization. Additional sparse points obviously above or below the true surface were manually deleted after the last error reduction iteration. 3. Ground control points (GCPs) were automatically detected using the 'Cross (non-coded)' option. False matches were manually removed, and all markers were visually checked and manually placed or adjusted if needed. Markers were manually placed for GCPs that consisted of chalk 'X' marks. 4. Additional sparse point cloud error reduction was performed using an iterative gradual selection and camera optimization process with the following parameters: Reconstruction Error: 0.3. Lens calibration parameters f, cx, cy, k1, k2, k3, p1, and p2 were initially included in the optimization, but additional parameters k4, b1, b2, p3, and p4 were included once Reconstruction Error was reduced below 1 pixel. Additional sparse points obviously above or below the true surface were manually deleted after the last error reduction iteration, and a final optimization was performed. 5. A dense point cloud was created using the 'high' accuracy setting, with 'aggressive' depth filtering. 6. A Digital Surface Model (DSM) with a native resolution of 3.6 centimeters per pixel was created using all points in the dense point cloud, and was exported to a GeoTIFF format with a 4-centimeter pixel resolution. 7. An RGB orthomosaic with a native resolution of 1.8 centimeters per pixel was created using the main DSM as the orthorectification surface, and was exported to a GeoTIFF format with a 2-centimeter pixel resolution. 8. An exterior boundary was digitized using the orthomosaic as a reference and was used as a clipping mask to exclude areas of water, obvious edge artifacts, and large areas of interpolation. 9. The point clouds were exported in LAZ format. 10. LAStools 'lasclip' was used to set the classification of all points falling within the horizontal bounds of the water clipping mask shapefile as Class 9 ('water'). Person who carried out this activity:
    Joshua Logan
    U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Physical Scientist
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA
    US

    831-460-7519 (voice)
    831-427-4748 (FAX)
    jlogan@usgs.gov
    Date: 13-Oct-2021 (process 5 of 5)
    Performed minor edits to the metadata to correct typos. No data were changed Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: Susan A. Cochran
    Geologist
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA

    831-460-7545 (voice)
    scochran@usgs.gov
  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?
    No formal attribute accuracy tests were conducted.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    Horizontal accuracy was estimated by comparing SfM-derived ground control point (GCP) positions to PPK GPS measurements. Due to the time-intensive process of placing GCPs in the field, all available GCPs were used for registration and camera optimization in the SfM processing workflow during the creation of the final point clouds. To evaluate the horizontal positional accuracy of the point cloud after processing was completed, each GCPs was disabled one-at-a-time using a python script to create a 'temporary check point'. With a single GCP temporarily disabled, camera optimization was performed with all lens parameters fixed, and all other GCPs enabled. The residual errors of the check point relative to its GPS-measured position were recorded. After all temporary check point iterations were complete, the root-mean-square error (RMSE) and mean-absolute error (MAE) were calculated. The resulting horizontal RMSE was 0.043 meters (MAE 0.039 meters). The addition of the estimated horizontal GPS uncertainty (0.020 meters) in quadrature results in a total horizontal accuracy estimate of 0.047 meters for the point cloud. It should be noted that this error estimate is for areas of bare ground or low vegetation where GCPs were placed. Additional sources of error such as poor image-to-image point matching due to vegetation or uniform substrate texture (such as sand) resulting in poor surface reconstruction may cause localized errors in some portions of the point clouds to exceed this estimate.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    Vertical accuracy was estimated by comparing SfM-derived ground control point (GCP) positions to PPK GPS measurements. Due to the time-intensive process of placing GCPs in the field, all available GCPs were used for registration and camera optimization in the SfM processing workflow during the creation of the final point cloud. To evaluate the vertical positional accuracy of the point cloud after processing was completed, each GCPs was disabled one-at-a-time using a python script to create a 'temporary check point'. With a single GCP temporarily disabled, camera optimization was performed with all lens parameters fixed, and all other GCPs enabled. The residual errors of the check point relative to its GPS-measured position were recorded. After all temporary check point iterations were complete, the root-mean-square error (RMSE) and mean-absolute error (MAE) were calculated. The resulting vertical RMSE was 0.079 meters (MAE 0.058 meters). The addition of the estimated vertical GPS uncertainty (0.025 meters) in quadrature results in a total vertical accuracy estimate of 0.083 meters for the point cloud. It should be noted that this error estimate is for areas of bare ground or low vegetation where GCPs were placed. Additional sources of error such as poor image-to-image point matching due to vegetation or uniform substrate texture (such as sand) resulting in poor surface reconstruction may cause localized errors in some portions of the point clouds to exceed this estimate.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Dataset is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract. Users are advised to read the rest of the metadata record carefully for additional details.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    No formal logical accuracy tests were conducted.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
USGS-authored or produced data and information are in the public domain from the U.S. Government and are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize and acknowledge the U.S. Geological Survey as the originator(s) of the dataset and in products derived from these data. This information is not intended for navigation purposes.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase
    Denver Federal Center, Building 810, Mail Stop 302
    Denver, CO
    United States

    1-888-275-8747 (voice)
    sciencebase@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? The topographic point clouds are available as LAZ files.
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.
  4. How can I download or order the data?
  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    This zip file contains point cloud data in LAZ format (LAS 1.2 specification). The user must have software capable of uncompressing the .zip compressed file and displaying or processing the .laz format file.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 13-Oct-2021
Metadata author:
U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Attn: PCMSC Science Data Coordinator
2885 Mission Street
Santa Cruz, CA

831-427-4747 (voice)
pcmsc_data@usgs.gov
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/pcmsc/DataReleases/ScienceBase/DR_P9R76MVP/WestWhidbey_2019-06-04_pointcloud_metadata.faq.html>
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