Granite Dells, Arizona Dataset Now Available
Today, OpenTopography released a relatively small 47 km2 (~357 million points) LiDAR dataset covering the Granite Dells, near Prescott, Arizona. These data were collected by the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) on behalf of David E. Haddad (Arizona State University) as part of a Seed Grant awarded to him in 2009. David's MS research project, "Geologic and Geomorphic Characterization of Precariously Balanced Rocks" used these data and TLS datasets to understand the geologic and geomorphic settings in which precariously balanced rocks form in low-seismicity regions. The OpenTopography blog previously highlighted David's application of LiDAR to precariously balanced rocks in the Granite Dells. More information is also available on David's precariously balanced rocks research page, and in his Arizona Geology article entitled Nature's Balanced Seismometers. The Granite Dells is a dramatic landscape composed of exposed granitic bedrock. Consequently, these LiDAR data, collected at greater than 8 shots per meter2, are an excellent resource for geomorphic research on granitic landscapes.
Thanks to David for kindly agreeing to make these data available to the research community and the public through OpenTopography.
Example of Granite Dells LiDAR Point Cloud data:
