Affordable and dependable sUAS and the integration of highly advanced sensors has created remarkably novel capabilities for safer, more cost-efficient remotely sensed data collection.
USGS performs the studies needed to create the scientific foundation upon which policymakers, natural resource managers, and the public can make informed decisions about the management of natural resources on which they and others depend. UAS now plays a vital role in data collection for these scientific studies by addressing the data-gaps left between satellite-based observations (limited by image resolution, atmospheric conditions, and acquisition timelines), manned aircraft collection (often infeasible due to safety concerns, the need for low altitude flights, high costs, and hazardous conditions) and ground efforts (time-consuming and increases personnel exposure to adverse conditions and safety risks). UAS data collection can also require only minimal lead-time, which allows for rapid and flexible response to unique and time-sensitive events. All these characteristics have enabled UAS to become one of the best tools for gathering the repeatable, scientifically valid observations needed to support the science that leads to better policy decisions, which benefits all Americans.
Data collected by sUAS supports a wide variety of studies, data releases, and scientific publications:
March 9, 2022
Colorado River at Windy Gap near Granby, CO - 2021/07/27 Water Surface Velocity Map Using Particle Image Velocimetry
February 23, 2022
UAV based vegetation classification results and input NDVI, vegetation height, and texture datasets for two Montana rangeland sites in 2018
February 21, 2022
Rockfall Kinematics from Massive Rock Cliffs: Outlier Boulders and Flyrock from Whitney Portal, California, Rockfalls
February 14, 2022
Small Unoccupied Aircraft System Imagery and Associated Data used for Discharge Measurement at Eight Locations Across the United States in 2019 and 2020
December 13, 2021
Use of High-Resolution Topo-Bathymetry to Assess Shoreline Topography and Future Development of a Slackwater Harbor near Dardanelle, Arkansas, October 2021
December 9, 2021
Spectral reflectance measurements of radiometric calibration panels for UAS image calibration
October 19, 2021
Snow Depth Retrieval With an Autonomous UAV-Mounted Software-Defined Radar
October 2021
Developing bare-earth digital elevation models from structure-from-motion data on barrier islands
September 15, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at West Whidbey Island, WA, June 2019
September 15, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, WA, June 2019
July 22, 2021
Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) video of the 2018 summit eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii
March 18, 2021
Enumerating White‐Tailed Deer Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
March 18, 2021
Lava effusion rate evolution and erupted volume during the 2018 Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption
February 22, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Post Point, Bellingham Bay, WA, June 2019
February 22, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park, Tacoma, WA, June 2019
February 18, 2021
Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) video of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii
November 29, 2020
Fossil Hunting Is Entering a New Technological Age
November 20, 2020
Small atoll fresh groundwater lenses respond to a combination of natural climatic cycles and human modified geology
October 12, 2020
QCam: sUAS-Based Doppler Radar for Measuring River Discharge
September 25, 2020
From Lava to Water: A New Era at Kilauea
September 25, 2020
Predicting Bird Guilds Using Vegetation Composition and Structure on a Wild and Scenic River in Arizona
September 19, 2020
Ultra‐high‐resolution mapping of biocrusts with Unmanned Aerial Systems
July 31, 2020
Low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at select locations over the Potomac River, October 2019
June 2, 2020
CountryMapper Sensor Validation Survey Data
May 1, 2020
Using Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Measuring Post-Flood High-Water Marks and Streambed Elevations
April 9, 2020
Volcanological applications of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS): Developments, strategies, and future challenges
December 12, 2019
Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano: data release
December 6, 2019
Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano
December 2019
Reach-Scale Monitoring and Modeling of Rivers - Expanding Hydraulic Data Collection Beyond the Cross Section
2019
Reach-Scale Monitoring Network
November 19, 2019
Orthoimagery and elevation data derived from UAS imagery for Palmyra Atoll, USA 2016
November 8, 2019
Variable normal-fault rupture behavior, northern Lost River fault zone, Idaho, USA
August 6, 2019
Orthoimagery and elevation data for Bluffton Native Habitat Waterway, Indiana, 2016
April 29, 2019
A partnership to protect critical infrastructure
January 25, 2019
The 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea Volcano
July 17, 2018
Understanding Floods | Long-term Streamflow Data Collection
May 8, 2018
Advances in Streamgaging | Reach-Scale Monitoring Experiment (2 of 2)
January 30, 2018
UAS imagery acquisition for McFaddin NWR and J.D. Murphree WMA acquired fall 2017
October 3, 2017
UAS-SfM for Coastal Research: Geomorphic Feature Extraction and Land Cover Classification from High-Resolution Elevation and Optical Imagery
June 15, 2017
UAV lidar and hyperspectral fusion for forest monitoring in the southwestern USA
2017
Drones for Three-Dimensional Modeling of Devil’s Tower National Monument
- Overview
Affordable and dependable sUAS and the integration of highly advanced sensors has created remarkably novel capabilities for safer, more cost-efficient remotely sensed data collection.
USGS performs the studies needed to create the scientific foundation upon which policymakers, natural resource managers, and the public can make informed decisions about the management of natural resources on which they and others depend. UAS now plays a vital role in data collection for these scientific studies by addressing the data-gaps left between satellite-based observations (limited by image resolution, atmospheric conditions, and acquisition timelines), manned aircraft collection (often infeasible due to safety concerns, the need for low altitude flights, high costs, and hazardous conditions) and ground efforts (time-consuming and increases personnel exposure to adverse conditions and safety risks). UAS data collection can also require only minimal lead-time, which allows for rapid and flexible response to unique and time-sensitive events. All these characteristics have enabled UAS to become one of the best tools for gathering the repeatable, scientifically valid observations needed to support the science that leads to better policy decisions, which benefits all Americans.
Data collected by sUAS supports a wide variety of studies, data releases, and scientific publications:
March 9, 2022
Colorado River at Windy Gap near Granby, CO - 2021/07/27 Water Surface Velocity Map Using Particle Image VelocimetryFebruary 23, 2022
UAV based vegetation classification results and input NDVI, vegetation height, and texture datasets for two Montana rangeland sites in 2018February 21, 2022
Rockfall Kinematics from Massive Rock Cliffs: Outlier Boulders and Flyrock from Whitney Portal, California, RockfallsFebruary 14, 2022
Small Unoccupied Aircraft System Imagery and Associated Data used for Discharge Measurement at Eight Locations Across the United States in 2019 and 2020December 13, 2021
Use of High-Resolution Topo-Bathymetry to Assess Shoreline Topography and Future Development of a Slackwater Harbor near Dardanelle, Arkansas, October 2021December 9, 2021
Spectral reflectance measurements of radiometric calibration panels for UAS image calibrationOctober 19, 2021
Snow Depth Retrieval With an Autonomous UAV-Mounted Software-Defined RadarOctober 2021
Developing bare-earth digital elevation models from structure-from-motion data on barrier islandsSeptember 15, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at West Whidbey Island, WA, June 2019September 15, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, WA, June 2019July 22, 2021
Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) video of the 2018 summit eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, HawaiiMarch 18, 2021
Enumerating White‐Tailed Deer Using Unmanned Aerial VehiclesMarch 18, 2021
Lava effusion rate evolution and erupted volume during the 2018 Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruptionFebruary 22, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Post Point, Bellingham Bay, WA, June 2019February 22, 2021
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park, Tacoma, WA, June 2019February 18, 2021
Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) video of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, HawaiiNovember 29, 2020
Fossil Hunting Is Entering a New Technological AgeNovember 20, 2020
Small atoll fresh groundwater lenses respond to a combination of natural climatic cycles and human modified geologyOctober 12, 2020
QCam: sUAS-Based Doppler Radar for Measuring River DischargeSeptember 25, 2020
From Lava to Water: A New Era at KilaueaSeptember 25, 2020
Predicting Bird Guilds Using Vegetation Composition and Structure on a Wild and Scenic River in ArizonaSeptember 19, 2020
Ultra‐high‐resolution mapping of biocrusts with Unmanned Aerial SystemsJuly 31, 2020
Low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at select locations over the Potomac River, October 2019June 2, 2020
CountryMapper Sensor Validation Survey DataMay 1, 2020
Using Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Measuring Post-Flood High-Water Marks and Streambed ElevationsApril 9, 2020
Volcanological applications of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS): Developments, strategies, and future challengesDecember 12, 2019
Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano: data releaseDecember 6, 2019
Cyclic lava effusion during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea VolcanoDecember 2019
Reach-Scale Monitoring and Modeling of Rivers - Expanding Hydraulic Data Collection Beyond the Cross Section2019
Reach-Scale Monitoring NetworkNovember 19, 2019
Orthoimagery and elevation data derived from UAS imagery for Palmyra Atoll, USA 2016November 8, 2019
Variable normal-fault rupture behavior, northern Lost River fault zone, Idaho, USAAugust 6, 2019
Orthoimagery and elevation data for Bluffton Native Habitat Waterway, Indiana, 2016April 29, 2019
A partnership to protect critical infrastructureJanuary 25, 2019
The 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea VolcanoJuly 17, 2018
Understanding Floods | Long-term Streamflow Data CollectionMay 8, 2018
Advances in Streamgaging | Reach-Scale Monitoring Experiment (2 of 2)January 30, 2018
UAS imagery acquisition for McFaddin NWR and J.D. Murphree WMA acquired fall 2017October 3, 2017
UAS-SfM for Coastal Research: Geomorphic Feature Extraction and Land Cover Classification from High-Resolution Elevation and Optical ImageryJune 15, 2017
UAV lidar and hyperspectral fusion for forest monitoring in the southwestern USA2017
Drones for Three-Dimensional Modeling of Devil’s Tower National Monument