Dr. Jason Stoker oversees strategic planning, development and coordination of the 3D Elevation Program and science and application related data, tools, and services. Jason provides technical expertise, prepares roadmaps, and plans for elevation products and services, and helps determine the long-term vision for 3DEP products and services.
Professional Experience
Elevation Science and Applications Lead, USGS National Geospatial Program
FGDC National Geospatial Data Asset Data Manager, 5 National Elevation Theme Datasets
Project Manager, Lidar Science Project, USGS EROS
Supervisor of USGS EROS Topographic Science Team
Former Director, USGS Center for Lidar Information Coordination and Knowledge (CLICK)
Lidar Lead, NASA Surface Topography and Vegetation Study Team
Past Member of the NSF OpenTopography Facility Advisory Committee
Biological Scientist, US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., South Dakota State University
M.S., Colorado State University
B.S., Colorado State University
Affiliations and Memberships*
ASPRS
AGU
Science and Products
A National Topographic Change Mapping and Monitoring System
Evaluation and testing of standardized forest vegetation metrics derived from lidar data
Elevation-based probabilistic mapping of irregularly flooded wetlands along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast
Absolute accuracy assessment of lidar point cloud using amorphous objects
The accuracy and consistency of 3D Elevation Program data: A systematic analysis
Defining technology operational readiness for the 3D Elevation Program—A plan for investment, incubation, and adoption
The 3D Elevation Program and energy for the Nation
General external uncertainty models of three-plane intersection point for 3D absolute accuracy assessment of lidar point cloud
An integrated framework for ecological drought across riverscapes of North America
Multi-year data from satellite- and ground-based sensors show details and scale matter in assessing climate’s effects on wetland surface water, amphibians, and landscape conditions
The 3D Elevation Program national indexing scheme
USGS integrated drought science
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
A National Topographic Change Mapping and Monitoring System
The three-dimensional (3D) form of the Earth’s surface results from both abiotic and biotic forces. Major abiotic forces, such as tectonic uplift, erosion, and climate, exert strong influence over land surface morphology. Biotic forces, including, significantly, humans, also shape the landscape, but often at different temporal and spatial scales and magnitudes than geologic forces. Because the pro...Evaluation and testing of standardized forest vegetation metrics derived from lidar data
The USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) is managing the acquisition of lidar data across the Nation for high resolution mapping of the land surface, useful for multiple applications. Lidar data is initially collected as 3-dimensional “point clouds” that map the interaction of the airborne laser with earth surface features, including vegetation, buildings, and ground features. Generally the product of... - Multimedia
- Publications
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Elevation-based probabilistic mapping of irregularly flooded wetlands along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast
Irregularly flooded wetlands are found above the mean high water tidal datum and are exposed to tides and saltwater less frequently than daily. These wetlands provide important ecosystem services, such as providing habitat for fish and wildlife, enhancing water quality, ameliorating flooding impacts, supporting coastal food webs, and protecting upslope areas from erosion. Mapping irregularly floodAbsolute accuracy assessment of lidar point cloud using amorphous objects
The accuracy assessment of airborne lidar point cloud typically estimates vertical accuracy by computing RMSEz (root mean square error of the z coordinate) from ground check points (GCPs). Due to the low point density of the airborne lidar point cloud, there is often not enough accurate semantic context to find an accurate conjugate point. To advance the accuracy assessment in full three-dimensionThe accuracy and consistency of 3D Elevation Program data: A systematic analysis
The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) has created partnership opportunities to increase the collection of high-resolution elevation data across the United States, eventually leading to complete coverage of high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) information from light detection and ranging (lidar) data across the entire country (interferometric synthetic aperture radar in Alaska). While 3DEP data are coDefining technology operational readiness for the 3D Elevation Program—A plan for investment, incubation, and adoption
The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) is an acquisition strategy that uses data from commercial remote sensing technologies to create three-dimensional maps of the United States and U.S. territories. Currently, light detection and ranging and interferometric synthetic aperture radar are the two commercial technologies being used to provide three-dimensional information to meet the program’s operationalThe 3D Elevation Program and energy for the Nation
High-resolution light detection and ranging (lidar) data are used in energy infrastructure siting, design, permitting, construction, and monitoring to promote public safety through the reduction of risks. For example, lidar data are used to identify safe locations for energy infrastructure by analyzing terrain parameters and identifying and evaluating geologic hazards (for example, landslide and fGeneral external uncertainty models of three-plane intersection point for 3D absolute accuracy assessment of lidar point cloud
The traditional practice to assess accuracy in lidar data involves calculating RMSEz (root mean square error of the vertical component). Accuracy assessment of lidar point clouds in full 3D (dimension) is not routinely performed. The main challenge in assessing accuracy in full 3D is how to identify a conjugate point of a ground-surveyed checkpoint in the lidar point cloud with the smallest possibAn integrated framework for ecological drought across riverscapes of North America
Climate change is increasing the severity and extent of extreme droughts events, posing a critical threat to freshwater ecosystems, particularly with increasing human demands for diminishing water supplies. Despite the importance of drought as a significant driver of ecological and evolutionary dynamics, current understanding of drought consequences for freshwater biodiversity is very limited. WMulti-year data from satellite- and ground-based sensors show details and scale matter in assessing climate’s effects on wetland surface water, amphibians, and landscape conditions
Long-term, interdisciplinary studies of relations between climate and ecological conditions on wetland-upland landscapes have been lacking, especially studies integrated across scales meaningful for adaptive resource management. We collected data in situ at individual wetlands, and via satellite for surrounding 4-km2 landscape blocks, to assess relations between annual weather dynamics, snow duratThe 3D Elevation Program national indexing scheme
The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) acquires high-resolution elevation data for the Nation. This program has been operating under an opportunity-oriented approach, acquiring light detection and ranging (lidar) projects of varying sizes scattered across the United States. As a result, the national 3DEP elevation layer is subject to data gaps or unnecessary overlap bUSGS integrated drought science
Project Need and OverviewDrought poses a serious threat to the resilience of human communities and ecosystems in the United States (Easterling and others, 2000). Over the past several years, many regions have experienced extreme drought conditions, fueled by prolonged periods of reduced precipitation and exceptionally warm temperatures. Extreme drought has far-reaching impacts on water supplies, eNon-USGS Publications**
Deering, C. A. and Stoker, J.M., (2014). Let's agree on the casing of lidar. LIDAR News Magazine, Vol. 4 No. 6:Stoker, J. (2009). Visualization of Multiple-return Lidar Data: Using Voxels. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 75(2), 109-112.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- News
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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government