Northeast Region Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Capability Team
Active
By Northeast Region
September 21, 2026
Learn about the USGS Northeast Region's Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Capability Team.
The Northeast Region uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) capability team provides support for regional UAS users and collaborators and strives to build a centralized regional network for developing the UAS capability. Uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) technology provides a rapid and low-cost solution for collecting aerial data. The interdisciplinary nature of the data collected, and the breadth of applications make UAS technology applicable to multiple scientific investigations. UAS products can be used to meet many science objectives, including quantifying geomorphic changes in landscapes, classify landcover, assess habitat suitability, provide estimates of wildlife populations, quantify water velocity estimates and many other innovative approaches to help support scientific investigations.
UAS capabilities and products
- Digital Surface Models (DSM) created from Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry software models using still camera imagery
- Multispectral radiance datasets created from a 5 spectral band camera can be used to create indexes to investigate vegetation properties (ex. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI)
- Thermal imaging using infrared cameras
- Lightweight Hyperspectral sensor
- Doppler radar techniques to provide data on river velocities
- Large Scale Particle Imaging Velocimetry (LSPIV) techniques using video footage to provide volume estimates
- Topographic lidar elevation capabilities
- Ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Filter Total Items: 14
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion-derived shallow water bathymetry from a UAS survey of the coral reef off Waiakane, Molokai, Hawaii, June 2018 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion-derived shallow water bathymetry from a UAS survey of the coral reef off Waiakane, Molokai, Hawaii, June 2018
An unoccupied aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the shallow fringing coral reef at Waiakane, Molokai, Hawaii, on 24 June 2018. Imagery was acquired over an area between the shoreline and approximately 900 meters offshore, covering approximately 16 hectares. The imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques with...
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, WA, June 2019 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, WA, June 2019
An unmanned aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, Washington on June 5, 2019. This imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive a high-resolution digital surface model (DSM), orthomosaic imagery, and topographic point clouds. In order to maximize the extent of...
Orthoimagery, digital elevation, digital terrain, final surface, and vegetation classification models for four stream catchments in western Colorado 2016 Orthoimagery, digital elevation, digital terrain, final surface, and vegetation classification models for four stream catchments in western Colorado 2016
Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) flights were conducted over four stream catchments in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, during the summer of 2016. Two sties had active oil and gas operations within the basin whereas the other two sites did not. Structure from motion (SfM) was used to align raw images and create a dense point cloud, georectified orthoimage, and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for...
Time Series of Structure-from-Motion Products-Orthomosaics, Digital Elevation Models and Point Clouds: Little Dauphin Island and Pelican Island, Alabama, September 2018-April 2019 Time Series of Structure-from-Motion Products-Orthomosaics, Digital Elevation Models and Point Clouds: Little Dauphin Island and Pelican Island, Alabama, September 2018-April 2019
Barrier islands are dynamic environments that are gradually shaped by currents, waves, and tides under quiescent conditions, yet can evolve in the time scale of hours to days during hurricanes and other extreme storms. Small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) allow the opportunity for collecting topographic data for monitoring purposes, with a temporal resolution that is well-suited for...
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Post Point, Bellingham Bay, WA, June 2019 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Post Point, Bellingham Bay, WA, June 2019
An unmanned aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the intertidal zone at Post Point in Bellingham Bay, Washington on June 6, 2019. This imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive high-resolution digital surface models (DSM), orthomosaic imagery, and topographic point clouds. In order to maximize the extent of...
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park, Ruston Way, Tacoma, WA, June 2019 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park, Ruston Way, Tacoma, WA, June 2019
An unmanned aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park in Tacoma, Washington on June 3, 2019. This imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive high-resolution digital surface models (DSM), orthomosaic imagery, and topographic point clouds. In order to maximize...
Time Series of Structure-from-Motion Products-Orthomosaics, Digital Elevation Models, and Point Clouds: Madeira Beach, Florida, July 2017 to June 2018 Time Series of Structure-from-Motion Products-Orthomosaics, Digital Elevation Models, and Point Clouds: Madeira Beach, Florida, July 2017 to June 2018
Aerial imagery acquired with a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS), in conjunction with surveyed ground control points (GCP) visible in the imagery, can be processed with structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry techniques to produce high-resolution orthomosaics, three-dimensional (3D) point clouds and digital elevation models (DEMs). This dataset, prepared by the U.S. Geological...
Time Series of Aerial Imagery from Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Associated Ground Control Points: Madeira Beach, Florida, July 2017 to June 2018 Time Series of Aerial Imagery from Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Associated Ground Control Points: Madeira Beach, Florida, July 2017 to June 2018
Aerial imagery acquired with a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS), in conjunction with surveyed ground control points (GCP) visible in the imagery, can be processed with structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry techniques to produce high-resolution orthomosaics, three-dimensional (3D) point clouds and digital elevation models (DEMs). This dataset, prepared by the U.S. Geological...
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion derived data products from UAS survey of the Liberty Island Conservation Bank Wildlands restoration site, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, October 2018 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion derived data products from UAS survey of the Liberty Island Conservation Bank Wildlands restoration site, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, October 2018
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) were used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the Liberty Island Conservation Bank Wildlands restoration site in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California, with the goal of using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive a digital surface model, orthomosaic imagery, and a topographic point cloud. The survey was conducted using...
Thermal infrared and photogrammetric data collected by drone for hydrogeologic characterization around two US Geological Survey Next Generation Water Observing Systems stream gage locations near Claryville, NY, USA Thermal infrared and photogrammetric data collected by drone for hydrogeologic characterization around two US Geological Survey Next Generation Water Observing Systems stream gage locations near Claryville, NY, USA
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected low-altitude (typically 200-350 ft above land surface) airborne thermal infrared, and visual imagery data via a multirotor, small unoccupied aircraft system (UAS or 'drone') deployed along the river corridor encompassing two U.S. Geological Survey Next Generation Water Observing Systems (NGWOS) stream gage locations near Claryville, NY, USA...
Low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at select locations over the Potomac River, October 2019 Low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at select locations over the Potomac River, October 2019
These digital images were taken at select locations over the Potomac River using 3DR Solo unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in October 2019. These images were collected for the purpose of evaluating UAS assessment of river habitat data such as water depth, substrate type, and water clarity. Each UAS was equipped with a Ricoh GRII digital camera for natural color photos, used to produce...
Photogrammetric data collected by small unoccupied aircraft system for vegetation analysis at three study reaches along the Verde River, Arizona, December 2017 Photogrammetric data collected by small unoccupied aircraft system for vegetation analysis at three study reaches along the Verde River, Arizona, December 2017
The U.S. Geological Survey collected low-altitude airborne visual imagery via a multirotor, small unoccupied aircraft system (sUAS) along with Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS survey data at three study sites (Beasley Flat, Childs, and Sheep Bridge) along the Verde River in Arizona in December 2017. Visual imagery was collected in jpg format and Structure from Motion techniques were applied...
Processing coastal imagery with Agisoft Metashape Professional Edition, version 1.6—Structure from motion workflow documentation Processing coastal imagery with Agisoft Metashape Professional Edition, version 1.6—Structure from motion workflow documentation
Authors
Jin-Si R. Over, Andrew C. Ritchie, Christine J. Kranenburg, Jenna A. Brown, Daniel D. Buscombe, Tom Noble, Christopher R. Sherwood, Jonathan A. Warrick, Phillipe A. Wernette
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Hurricane Florence, Hurricanes
Workflow for using unmanned aircraft systems and traditional geospatial data to delineate agricultural drainage tiles at edge-of-field sites Workflow for using unmanned aircraft systems and traditional geospatial data to delineate agricultural drainage tiles at edge-of-field sites
Managing nutrient and sediment runoff from fields that drain to the Great Lakes is key to mitigating harmful algal blooms. Implementation of best management practices on agricultural land is considered a critical step to improving water quality in these streams, however the effect of these best management practices is difficult to quantify. The purpose of this study was to use a suite of...
Authors
J. Jeremy Webber, Tanja N. Williamson
Predicting bird guilds using vegetation composition and structure on a wild and scenic river in Arizona Predicting bird guilds using vegetation composition and structure on a wild and scenic river in Arizona
Riparian areas are among the most ecologically diverse terrestrial ecosystems but make up
Authors
Erin S. Cubley, Heather L. Bateman, Sidney B. Riddle, Christopher Holmquist-Johnson, David M. Merritt
Using small unmanned aircraft systems for measuring post-flood high-water marks and streambed elevations Using small unmanned aircraft systems for measuring post-flood high-water marks and streambed elevations
Floods affected approximately two billion people around the world from 1998–2017, causing over 142,000 fatalities and over 656 billion U.S. dollars in economic losses. Flood data, such as the extent of inundation and peak flood stage, are needed to define the environmental, economic, and social impacts of significant flood events. Ground-based global positioning system (GPS) surveys of...
Authors
Brandon T. Forbes, Geoffrey DeBenedetto, Jesse E. Dickinson, Claire E. Bunch, Faith A. Fitzpatrick
Delineation of tile-drain networks using thermal and multispectral imagery—Implications for water quantity and quality differences from paired edge-of-field sites Delineation of tile-drain networks using thermal and multispectral imagery—Implications for water quantity and quality differences from paired edge-of-field sites
As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, paired edge-of-field sites were established in high priority subwatersheds to assess the effectiveness of agricultural management practices. One pairing was in Black Creek, a tributary to the Maumee River and Lake Erie. These fields were paired because of similarity in soils, topography, and agricultural management. Following two years...
Authors
Tanja N. Williamson, Edward G. Dobrowolski, Shawn M. Meyer, Jeffrey W. Frey, Barry J. Allred
Efficient hydrogeological characterization of remote stream corridors using drones Efficient hydrogeological characterization of remote stream corridors using drones
This project demonstrates the successful use of small unoccupied aircraft system (sUASs) for hydrogeological characterization of a remote stream reach in a rugged mountain terrain. Thermal infrared, visual imagery, and derived digital surface models are used to inform conceptual models of groundwater/surface‐water exchange and efficiently geolocate zones of preferential groundwater...
Authors
Martin A. Briggs, Cian B. Dawson, Christopher Holmquist-Johnson, Kenneth H. Williams, John W. Lane
Unmanned aerial systems capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Unmanned aerial systems capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology provides a rapid and low-cost solution for mapping coastal environments and assessing short- and long-term changes. The interdisciplinary nature of the data collected and the breadth of applications make UAS technology applicable to multiple scientific investigations. The Aerial Imaging and Mapping (AIM) group at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)...
Authors
Sandra Brosnahan, Christopher R. Sherwood
Rapid, remote assessment of Hurricane Matthew impacts using four-dimensional structure-from-motion photogrammetry Rapid, remote assessment of Hurricane Matthew impacts using four-dimensional structure-from-motion photogrammetry
Timely assessment of coastal landforms and structures after storms is important for evaluating storm impacts, aiding emergency response and restoration, and initializing and assessing morphological models. Four-dimensional multiview photogrammetry, also known as structure from motion (4D SfM), provides a method for generating three-dimensional reconstructions of landscapes at two times...
Authors
Christopher R. Sherwood, Jonathan A. Warrick, Andrew D. Hill, Andrew C. Ritchie, Brian D. Andrews, Nathaniel G. Plant
Experimental flights using a small unmanned aircraft system for mapping emergent sandbars Experimental flights using a small unmanned aircraft system for mapping emergent sandbars
The US Geological Survey and Parallel Inc. conducted experimental flights with the Tarantula Hawk (T-Hawk) unmanned aircraft system (UAS ) at the Dyer and Cottonwood Ranch properties located along reaches of the Platte River near Overton, Nebraska, in July 2013. We equipped the T-Hawk UAS platform with a consumer-grade digital camera to collect imagery of emergent sandbars in the reaches...
Authors
Paul J. Kinzel, Mark A. Bauer, Mark R. Feller, Christopher Holmquist-Johnson, Todd Preston
Learn about the USGS Northeast Region's Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Capability Team.
The Northeast Region uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) capability team provides support for regional UAS users and collaborators and strives to build a centralized regional network for developing the UAS capability. Uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) technology provides a rapid and low-cost solution for collecting aerial data. The interdisciplinary nature of the data collected, and the breadth of applications make UAS technology applicable to multiple scientific investigations. UAS products can be used to meet many science objectives, including quantifying geomorphic changes in landscapes, classify landcover, assess habitat suitability, provide estimates of wildlife populations, quantify water velocity estimates and many other innovative approaches to help support scientific investigations.
UAS capabilities and products
- Digital Surface Models (DSM) created from Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry software models using still camera imagery
- Multispectral radiance datasets created from a 5 spectral band camera can be used to create indexes to investigate vegetation properties (ex. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI)
- Thermal imaging using infrared cameras
- Lightweight Hyperspectral sensor
- Doppler radar techniques to provide data on river velocities
- Large Scale Particle Imaging Velocimetry (LSPIV) techniques using video footage to provide volume estimates
- Topographic lidar elevation capabilities
- Ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Filter Total Items: 14
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion-derived shallow water bathymetry from a UAS survey of the coral reef off Waiakane, Molokai, Hawaii, June 2018 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion-derived shallow water bathymetry from a UAS survey of the coral reef off Waiakane, Molokai, Hawaii, June 2018
An unoccupied aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the shallow fringing coral reef at Waiakane, Molokai, Hawaii, on 24 June 2018. Imagery was acquired over an area between the shoreline and approximately 900 meters offshore, covering approximately 16 hectares. The imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques with...
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, WA, June 2019 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, WA, June 2019
An unmanned aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, Washington on June 5, 2019. This imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive a high-resolution digital surface model (DSM), orthomosaic imagery, and topographic point clouds. In order to maximize the extent of...
Orthoimagery, digital elevation, digital terrain, final surface, and vegetation classification models for four stream catchments in western Colorado 2016 Orthoimagery, digital elevation, digital terrain, final surface, and vegetation classification models for four stream catchments in western Colorado 2016
Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) flights were conducted over four stream catchments in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, during the summer of 2016. Two sties had active oil and gas operations within the basin whereas the other two sites did not. Structure from motion (SfM) was used to align raw images and create a dense point cloud, georectified orthoimage, and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for...
Time Series of Structure-from-Motion Products-Orthomosaics, Digital Elevation Models and Point Clouds: Little Dauphin Island and Pelican Island, Alabama, September 2018-April 2019 Time Series of Structure-from-Motion Products-Orthomosaics, Digital Elevation Models and Point Clouds: Little Dauphin Island and Pelican Island, Alabama, September 2018-April 2019
Barrier islands are dynamic environments that are gradually shaped by currents, waves, and tides under quiescent conditions, yet can evolve in the time scale of hours to days during hurricanes and other extreme storms. Small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) allow the opportunity for collecting topographic data for monitoring purposes, with a temporal resolution that is well-suited for...
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Post Point, Bellingham Bay, WA, June 2019 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Post Point, Bellingham Bay, WA, June 2019
An unmanned aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the intertidal zone at Post Point in Bellingham Bay, Washington on June 6, 2019. This imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive high-resolution digital surface models (DSM), orthomosaic imagery, and topographic point clouds. In order to maximize the extent of...
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park, Ruston Way, Tacoma, WA, June 2019 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park, Ruston Way, Tacoma, WA, June 2019
An unmanned aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park in Tacoma, Washington on June 3, 2019. This imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive high-resolution digital surface models (DSM), orthomosaic imagery, and topographic point clouds. In order to maximize...
Time Series of Structure-from-Motion Products-Orthomosaics, Digital Elevation Models, and Point Clouds: Madeira Beach, Florida, July 2017 to June 2018 Time Series of Structure-from-Motion Products-Orthomosaics, Digital Elevation Models, and Point Clouds: Madeira Beach, Florida, July 2017 to June 2018
Aerial imagery acquired with a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS), in conjunction with surveyed ground control points (GCP) visible in the imagery, can be processed with structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry techniques to produce high-resolution orthomosaics, three-dimensional (3D) point clouds and digital elevation models (DEMs). This dataset, prepared by the U.S. Geological...
Time Series of Aerial Imagery from Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Associated Ground Control Points: Madeira Beach, Florida, July 2017 to June 2018 Time Series of Aerial Imagery from Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Associated Ground Control Points: Madeira Beach, Florida, July 2017 to June 2018
Aerial imagery acquired with a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS), in conjunction with surveyed ground control points (GCP) visible in the imagery, can be processed with structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry techniques to produce high-resolution orthomosaics, three-dimensional (3D) point clouds and digital elevation models (DEMs). This dataset, prepared by the U.S. Geological...
Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion derived data products from UAS survey of the Liberty Island Conservation Bank Wildlands restoration site, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, October 2018 Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion derived data products from UAS survey of the Liberty Island Conservation Bank Wildlands restoration site, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, October 2018
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) were used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the Liberty Island Conservation Bank Wildlands restoration site in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California, with the goal of using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive a digital surface model, orthomosaic imagery, and a topographic point cloud. The survey was conducted using...
Thermal infrared and photogrammetric data collected by drone for hydrogeologic characterization around two US Geological Survey Next Generation Water Observing Systems stream gage locations near Claryville, NY, USA Thermal infrared and photogrammetric data collected by drone for hydrogeologic characterization around two US Geological Survey Next Generation Water Observing Systems stream gage locations near Claryville, NY, USA
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected low-altitude (typically 200-350 ft above land surface) airborne thermal infrared, and visual imagery data via a multirotor, small unoccupied aircraft system (UAS or 'drone') deployed along the river corridor encompassing two U.S. Geological Survey Next Generation Water Observing Systems (NGWOS) stream gage locations near Claryville, NY, USA...
Low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at select locations over the Potomac River, October 2019 Low-altitude aerial imagery from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at select locations over the Potomac River, October 2019
These digital images were taken at select locations over the Potomac River using 3DR Solo unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in October 2019. These images were collected for the purpose of evaluating UAS assessment of river habitat data such as water depth, substrate type, and water clarity. Each UAS was equipped with a Ricoh GRII digital camera for natural color photos, used to produce...
Photogrammetric data collected by small unoccupied aircraft system for vegetation analysis at three study reaches along the Verde River, Arizona, December 2017 Photogrammetric data collected by small unoccupied aircraft system for vegetation analysis at three study reaches along the Verde River, Arizona, December 2017
The U.S. Geological Survey collected low-altitude airborne visual imagery via a multirotor, small unoccupied aircraft system (sUAS) along with Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS survey data at three study sites (Beasley Flat, Childs, and Sheep Bridge) along the Verde River in Arizona in December 2017. Visual imagery was collected in jpg format and Structure from Motion techniques were applied...
Processing coastal imagery with Agisoft Metashape Professional Edition, version 1.6—Structure from motion workflow documentation Processing coastal imagery with Agisoft Metashape Professional Edition, version 1.6—Structure from motion workflow documentation
Authors
Jin-Si R. Over, Andrew C. Ritchie, Christine J. Kranenburg, Jenna A. Brown, Daniel D. Buscombe, Tom Noble, Christopher R. Sherwood, Jonathan A. Warrick, Phillipe A. Wernette
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Hurricane Florence, Hurricanes
Workflow for using unmanned aircraft systems and traditional geospatial data to delineate agricultural drainage tiles at edge-of-field sites Workflow for using unmanned aircraft systems and traditional geospatial data to delineate agricultural drainage tiles at edge-of-field sites
Managing nutrient and sediment runoff from fields that drain to the Great Lakes is key to mitigating harmful algal blooms. Implementation of best management practices on agricultural land is considered a critical step to improving water quality in these streams, however the effect of these best management practices is difficult to quantify. The purpose of this study was to use a suite of...
Authors
J. Jeremy Webber, Tanja N. Williamson
Predicting bird guilds using vegetation composition and structure on a wild and scenic river in Arizona Predicting bird guilds using vegetation composition and structure on a wild and scenic river in Arizona
Riparian areas are among the most ecologically diverse terrestrial ecosystems but make up
Authors
Erin S. Cubley, Heather L. Bateman, Sidney B. Riddle, Christopher Holmquist-Johnson, David M. Merritt
Using small unmanned aircraft systems for measuring post-flood high-water marks and streambed elevations Using small unmanned aircraft systems for measuring post-flood high-water marks and streambed elevations
Floods affected approximately two billion people around the world from 1998–2017, causing over 142,000 fatalities and over 656 billion U.S. dollars in economic losses. Flood data, such as the extent of inundation and peak flood stage, are needed to define the environmental, economic, and social impacts of significant flood events. Ground-based global positioning system (GPS) surveys of...
Authors
Brandon T. Forbes, Geoffrey DeBenedetto, Jesse E. Dickinson, Claire E. Bunch, Faith A. Fitzpatrick
Delineation of tile-drain networks using thermal and multispectral imagery—Implications for water quantity and quality differences from paired edge-of-field sites Delineation of tile-drain networks using thermal and multispectral imagery—Implications for water quantity and quality differences from paired edge-of-field sites
As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, paired edge-of-field sites were established in high priority subwatersheds to assess the effectiveness of agricultural management practices. One pairing was in Black Creek, a tributary to the Maumee River and Lake Erie. These fields were paired because of similarity in soils, topography, and agricultural management. Following two years...
Authors
Tanja N. Williamson, Edward G. Dobrowolski, Shawn M. Meyer, Jeffrey W. Frey, Barry J. Allred
Efficient hydrogeological characterization of remote stream corridors using drones Efficient hydrogeological characterization of remote stream corridors using drones
This project demonstrates the successful use of small unoccupied aircraft system (sUASs) for hydrogeological characterization of a remote stream reach in a rugged mountain terrain. Thermal infrared, visual imagery, and derived digital surface models are used to inform conceptual models of groundwater/surface‐water exchange and efficiently geolocate zones of preferential groundwater...
Authors
Martin A. Briggs, Cian B. Dawson, Christopher Holmquist-Johnson, Kenneth H. Williams, John W. Lane
Unmanned aerial systems capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Unmanned aerial systems capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology provides a rapid and low-cost solution for mapping coastal environments and assessing short- and long-term changes. The interdisciplinary nature of the data collected and the breadth of applications make UAS technology applicable to multiple scientific investigations. The Aerial Imaging and Mapping (AIM) group at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)...
Authors
Sandra Brosnahan, Christopher R. Sherwood
Rapid, remote assessment of Hurricane Matthew impacts using four-dimensional structure-from-motion photogrammetry Rapid, remote assessment of Hurricane Matthew impacts using four-dimensional structure-from-motion photogrammetry
Timely assessment of coastal landforms and structures after storms is important for evaluating storm impacts, aiding emergency response and restoration, and initializing and assessing morphological models. Four-dimensional multiview photogrammetry, also known as structure from motion (4D SfM), provides a method for generating three-dimensional reconstructions of landscapes at two times...
Authors
Christopher R. Sherwood, Jonathan A. Warrick, Andrew D. Hill, Andrew C. Ritchie, Brian D. Andrews, Nathaniel G. Plant
Experimental flights using a small unmanned aircraft system for mapping emergent sandbars Experimental flights using a small unmanned aircraft system for mapping emergent sandbars
The US Geological Survey and Parallel Inc. conducted experimental flights with the Tarantula Hawk (T-Hawk) unmanned aircraft system (UAS ) at the Dyer and Cottonwood Ranch properties located along reaches of the Platte River near Overton, Nebraska, in July 2013. We equipped the T-Hawk UAS platform with a consumer-grade digital camera to collect imagery of emergent sandbars in the reaches...
Authors
Paul J. Kinzel, Mark A. Bauer, Mark R. Feller, Christopher Holmquist-Johnson, Todd Preston