CountryMapper Sensor Validation Survey Data

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts during the weeks of September 9-13 and November 18-22, 2019, using a combination of technologies to map and validate topography, vegetation, and features in two areas of interest (AOI's) in north central Colorado. The western AOI included land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. The eastern AOI included agricultural and urban areas. The work was initiated as an effort to test and evaluate the Leica Geosystems CountryMapper sensor. The CountryMapper is a hybrid sensor that collects imagery and light detection and ranging (lidar) data simultaneously. The CountryMapper has the potential to collect data that satisfies both USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) requirements in a single collection. Real Time Kinematic Global Navigational Satellite System (RTK-GNSS), total station, ground based lidar (GBL), Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) lidar, and UAS imagery data were collected to compare to the data collected by the CountryMapper.