OpenTopography

OpenTopography will be at #AGU24 next week in Washington, D.C. Visit us in booth #1108 in the "NSF Neighborhood" in the exhibit hall. Our booth is staffed by the OT team. Stop by and ask questions, provide feedback, and see what's new in OpenTopography. We'll also have our popular "I ❤️ #LIDAR" stickers! More information on the OpenTopography booth, as well as talks and posters by our team: https://lnkd.in/gFCnGUUU

Learn more about the OpenTopography DEM Downloader #QGIS plugin by Kyaw Naing Win: https://lnkd.in/gtpMfCNf

Are you interested in helping to guide OpenTopography? We're seeking new members for our three Advisory Committees (ACs) to represent OpenTopography’s users and ensure that the facility’s activities are aligned with the needs and initiatives of the scientific and educational communities: - Research Communities AC - Inclusive Education, Training, and Workforce Development AC - Sustainability and Technology AC These are volunteer positions that serve a two-year term with the expectation of participating in ~quarterly virtual meetings. In particular we are seeking student and postdoc members, and members that represent the broad diversity of the OpenTopography user community. Self nominations are encouraged! More information and link to nomination form: https://lnkd.in/gkMVTk-u

OpenTopography is at the SACNAS National Diversity in STEM (#2024NDiSTEM) conference in Phoenix, AZ this week. Stop by our booth in the exhibit hall (shared with the AGeS - Advancing Geochronology Science, Spaces, and Systems project) to say hi, ask questions, and learn about available resources related to #lidar, topography, education and training, and internships.

The #lidar point cloud for this recently updated Canterbury, New Zealand 2020-2023 dataset can be found on OpenTopography at: https://lnkd.in/gX_dXgUT 218 billion points covering 21,209 sq km of the South Island

On September 3rd, 2024 California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency due to landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes south of Los Angeles. Over the weekend, the landslide forced power cuts and prompted evacuation warnings. The pace of landslide movement quickened recently in some areas to almost a foot per week following heavy rain storms in 2023 and 2024. Using OpenTopography's tools for topographic differencing, we compared NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration #lidar data from 2010 and 2014 to see how the Earth’s surface has changed in this part of Rancho Palos Verdes. The left image shows a lidar hillshade. In the right image, the difference between the 2010 and 2014 datasets is shown. Red indicates where the land surface moved down or was eroded. Blue shows where the land surface moved up or where material was deposited. Topographic analysis of these older lidar datasets indicates that landslide activity has been persistent in this area for decades. Read more about the Rancho Palos Verdes landslides and their impact here: https://lnkd.in/gMu86zar Learn more about topographic differencing, OpenTopography's tools for computing change, as well as publications, tutorials, and links to open source code here: https://lnkd.in/gBgb7sza

Happy to announce that National Science Foundation (NSF) support for OpenTopography has been renewed for another four years! This is the 5th generation of funding for OpenTopography. Support comes from NSF EAR's Geoinformatics program & the National Discovery Cloud for Climate initiative. OpenTopography is a collaborative project operated by the San Diego Supercomputer Center at the University of California San Diego; EarthScope Consortium, a non-profit university-governed consortium facilitating geoscience research and education; and School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU. Learn more about the award here: https://lnkd.in/g2AXCXDX

Still time to register for our one day "Introduction to High-Resolution Topography and OpenTopography" short course at the 2024 Geological Society of America national meeting in Anaheim, CA on Sat, Sept 21st. More information & link to register: https://lnkd.in/gn4A2d6F

Thanks Gordon for the shoutout on the recent update to elevation data in Waikato, we love to hear how people are using LINZ data to get their mahi done! Proud to produce this work alongside partners like OpenTopography and Waikato Regional Council to provide LiDAR-based elevation open source data for much of New Zealand 🏞 What is LiDAR and why does it matter, you may ask? 🔍👀 LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging, which is a technology using pulsed light sensors mounted on aircraft that fly over a landscape to capture a 3D view of the land. The sensor measures the time it takes for the light to travel back and forth from the sensor to the ground.   Highly accurate 3D maps help organisations, both private and public, make informed decisions about their land, including modelling natural hazards and climate change, tracking land changes after a natural disaster, designing better infrastructure, sustainable land use planning, environmental monitoring, and can even uncover hidden archaeological sites!    The LINZ National Elevation Programme will capture 80% of New Zealand's terrain and the data is freely available on open licence for anyone to use! 🙌 Here's some more info about the elevation data collected across the country: https://lnkd.in/griu7ggV   And you can download all kinds of elevation data from around New Zealand on LINZ Data Service: https://lnkd.in/gZsdJkmD

New video short by Emily Zawacki, PhD looking at the Mud Creek #landslide in Big Sur, CA, USA with #lidar. The May 2017 landslide mobilized 6 million cubic yards of material, closing Highway 1 and creating 15 acres of new coastline. https://lnkd.in/gfgpg6ZQ Topographic change map produced with OpenTopography's on-demand tools from USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) lidar.