Jeff Irwin is a Geographer with the U.S. Geological Survey at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Jeff Irwin is the Field Team Lead for the EROS Calibration/Validation Center of Excellence (ECCOE). Jeff is also the ECCOE Lidar Co-Lead. In addition to working with ECCOE, Jeff also leads fieldwork for the Terrain Modeling and Monitoring Focus Area of the EROS Integrated Science and Applications Branch (ISAB). Jeff is responsible for ensuring high quality field data is collected, processed, and published for a variety of activities, including developing methodologies to access the accuracy of airborne lidar and accessing the accuracy of airborne topographic and topobathymetric lidar systems for the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP), validating Landsat products, mapping river bluffs for sediment transport and erosion modeling, and validating regional topobathymetric digital elevation models (TBDEMs). Jeff relies heavily on his years of experience working for a private land surveying firm to conduct this work.
Jeff started with the USGS at EROS on a Pathways Internship with the Fire Science Focus Area within ISAB in 2016. Jeff's work as an intern focused on developing methodology to map understory fuels in northeastern Minnesota using airborne lidar data. Jeff also worked on mapping historic fires for the Fish and Wildlife Service using Landsat imagery. In addition to those activities, Jeff has supported Fire Science by leading efforts to collect ground based lidar data to be used for improving burn severity modeling by looking at 3D forest structure changes.
Education and Certifications
M.S., 2018, Geography, South Dakota State University, Thesis: Quantification of Understory Fuels in the Superior Nation Forest using Lidar Data
B.S., 2014, Geography, South Dakota State University
A.A.S., 2009, Civil Engineering Technology, Southeast Technical Institute
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 14
2021 McKenzie River Topobathymetric Lidar Validation - USGS Field Survey Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts between July 19th and 31st, 2021 over a large stretch of the McKenzie River in Oregon using high accuracy surveying technologies. The work was initiated as an effort to validate commercially acquired topobathymetric light detection and ranging (lidar) data that was collected coincidentally between July 26th and 30th,
Potomac River ADCP Bathymetric Survey, October 4-7, 2021
Bathymetric LiDAR technology was used to collect riverbed elevation data along the Potomac River. In support of this effort, a bathymetric survey with a boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) was conducted in the study area during October 4-7, 2021. The study area consisted of four verification reaches on the Potomac River including: 1) Williamsport accessed through the Williamsport
Topobathymetric Model of Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, 2011 to 2019 - Field Survey Source and Validation Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of Hawaii - Manoa (UH) scientists conducted field data collection efforts from August 19th - 27th, 2019 at Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. The data collection efforts utilized a combination of remote sensing technologies to map the topography, critical infrastructure, and most importantly, the cultural assets o
Potomac River ADCP Bathymetric Survey, October 4-7, 2021
Bathymetric LiDAR technology was used to collect riverbed elevation data along the Potomac River. In support of this effort, a bathymetric survey with a boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) was conducted in the study area during October 4-7, 2021. The study area consisted of four verification reaches on the Potomac River including: 1) Williamsport accessed through the Williamsport
Black Hills Region South Dakota 2017 Legion Lake Fire Burned and Unburned Plot Measurements
U.S Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts during the time periods of September 5 - 14, 2018, November 8 - 13, 2018, June 18 - 27, 2019, July 30 - August 8, 2019, September 13 - 19, 2019, and June 23 - July 1, 2020. These efforts used a combination of technologies to map twenty burned and twelve unburned forest plots at eleven sites in the Black Hills of South
Chesapeake Bay Region Virginia River Bluff and Wetland Extent Mapping
The Chesapeake Bay Estuary is the largest estuary in the United States and provides habitats for diverse wildlife and aquatic species, protects communities against flooding, reduces pollution to waterways, and supports local economies through commercial and recreational activities. In the Spring of 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED) Applications Pro
2020 Niobrara River Topobathymetric Lidar Validation – USGS Field Survey Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts between August 17th and 28th, 2020 over a large stretch of the Niobrara River in Nebraska using high accuracy surveying technologies. The work was initiated as an effort to validate commercially acquired topobathymetric light detection and ranging (lidar) data. The goal was to compare and validate the airborne lidar d
Coastal Carolinas Topobathymetric Model: Field Validation Data, 2021
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts between March 8th and 25th, 2021 at four sites along coastal North Carolina and South Carolina using high accuracy surveying technologies. The work was initiated as an effort to validate a topobathymetric digital elevation model (TBDEM) produced for the area that was directly impacted by Hurricane Florence in 2018. Th
Central South Dakota Airborne Lidar Validation - Field Survey Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts during the time periods of April 25 - 26, 2017, October 24 - 28, 2017, and July 25 - 26, 2018, using a combination of surveying technologies to map and validate topography, structures, and other features at five sites in central South Dakota. The five sites included the Chamberlain Explorers Athletic Complex and the C
Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia Mangrove Elevation Survey Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field work efforts during February 15-23, 2017 and April 10-25, 2019 in the mangrove forests of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) with logistical assistance from the Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT) and field assistance from the Conservation Society of Pohnpei and the Pohnpei Department of Forestry. The field team combined the surve
Kootenai River Topobathymetric Lidar Validation Survey Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts during the week of September 25 - 29, 2017, using a combination of conventional surveying technologies, for a large stretch of the Kootenai River near Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The work was initiated as an effort to validate commercially acquired topobathymetric light detection and ranging (lidar) data. The goal was to co
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 e
Absolute 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-dimension
Authors
Minsu Kim, Jason M. Stoker, Jeffrey Irwin, Jeffrey J. Danielson, Seonkyung Park
Elevations of mangrove forests of Pohnpei, Micronesia
Mangrove surface elevation is the crux of mangrove vulnerability to sea level rise. Local topography influences critical periods of tidal inundation that govern distributions of mangrove species and dictates future distributions. This study surveyed ground surface elevations of the extensive mangroves of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, integrating four survey technologies to solve issues
Authors
Joanna C Ellison, Kevin J. Buffington, Karen M. Thorne, Dean B. Gesch, Jeffrey Irwin, Jeffrey J. Danielson
Airborne hybrid sensor maps the country: Multi-agency effort for testing a potential new hybrid 3DEP-NAIP sensor
No abstract available.
Authors
Jason M. Stoker, Aparajithan Sampath, Minsu Kim, Jeffrey Irwin, Eric Rounds, Josh Heyer, Julie Davenport, Gabe Bellante, Tony Kimmet, Collin McCormick, John Mootz
Positional accuracy assessment of lidar point cloud from NAIP/3DEP pilot project
The Leica Geosystems CountryMapper hybrid system has the potential to collect data that satisfy the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Geospatial Program (NGP) and 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) requirements in a single collection. This research will help 3DEP determine if this sensor has the potential to me
Authors
Minsu Kim, Seonkyung Park, Jeffrey Irwin, Collin McCormick, Jeffrey J. Danielson, Gregory L. Stensaas, Aparajithan Sampath, Mark A. Bauer, Matthew Alexander Burgess
General 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 possib
Authors
Minsu Kim, Seonkyung Park, Jeffrey J. Danielson, Jeffrey Irwin, Gregory L. Stensaas, Jason M. Stoker, Joshua Nimetz
Non-USGS Publications**
João António Bessa Santos, Javier Santos-González, José Maria Redondo-Vega & Jeffrey Reed Irwin (2017) Glacial deposits in the Serra do Gerês Mountains (NW Iberian Peninsula): till macrofabric analysis, Physical Geography, 38:3, 263-285, DOI: 10.1080/02723646.2016.1276879
González Gutiérrez, R.B., Santos González, J., Santos, J.A., Cano, M., Irwin, J.R., Gómez-Villar, A, & Redondo Vega, J. (2019). Glacial geomorphology of the Sancenas karst massif (Cantabrian Mountains, Northern Spain). Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria. 42. 71-86. 10.4461/GFDQ.2019.42.6.
**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
- Data
Filter Total Items: 14
2021 McKenzie River Topobathymetric Lidar Validation - USGS Field Survey Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts between July 19th and 31st, 2021 over a large stretch of the McKenzie River in Oregon using high accuracy surveying technologies. The work was initiated as an effort to validate commercially acquired topobathymetric light detection and ranging (lidar) data that was collected coincidentally between July 26th and 30th,Potomac River ADCP Bathymetric Survey, October 4-7, 2021
Bathymetric LiDAR technology was used to collect riverbed elevation data along the Potomac River. In support of this effort, a bathymetric survey with a boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) was conducted in the study area during October 4-7, 2021. The study area consisted of four verification reaches on the Potomac River including: 1) Williamsport accessed through the WilliamsportTopobathymetric Model of Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, 2011 to 2019 - Field Survey Source and Validation Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of Hawaii - Manoa (UH) scientists conducted field data collection efforts from August 19th - 27th, 2019 at Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. The data collection efforts utilized a combination of remote sensing technologies to map the topography, critical infrastructure, and most importantly, the cultural assets oPotomac River ADCP Bathymetric Survey, October 4-7, 2021
Bathymetric LiDAR technology was used to collect riverbed elevation data along the Potomac River. In support of this effort, a bathymetric survey with a boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) was conducted in the study area during October 4-7, 2021. The study area consisted of four verification reaches on the Potomac River including: 1) Williamsport accessed through the WilliamsportBlack Hills Region South Dakota 2017 Legion Lake Fire Burned and Unburned Plot Measurements
U.S Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts during the time periods of September 5 - 14, 2018, November 8 - 13, 2018, June 18 - 27, 2019, July 30 - August 8, 2019, September 13 - 19, 2019, and June 23 - July 1, 2020. These efforts used a combination of technologies to map twenty burned and twelve unburned forest plots at eleven sites in the Black Hills of SouthChesapeake Bay Region Virginia River Bluff and Wetland Extent Mapping
The Chesapeake Bay Estuary is the largest estuary in the United States and provides habitats for diverse wildlife and aquatic species, protects communities against flooding, reduces pollution to waterways, and supports local economies through commercial and recreational activities. In the Spring of 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED) Applications Pro2020 Niobrara River Topobathymetric Lidar Validation – USGS Field Survey Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts between August 17th and 28th, 2020 over a large stretch of the Niobrara River in Nebraska using high accuracy surveying technologies. The work was initiated as an effort to validate commercially acquired topobathymetric light detection and ranging (lidar) data. The goal was to compare and validate the airborne lidar dCoastal Carolinas Topobathymetric Model: Field Validation Data, 2021
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts between March 8th and 25th, 2021 at four sites along coastal North Carolina and South Carolina using high accuracy surveying technologies. The work was initiated as an effort to validate a topobathymetric digital elevation model (TBDEM) produced for the area that was directly impacted by Hurricane Florence in 2018. ThCentral South Dakota Airborne Lidar Validation - Field Survey Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts during the time periods of April 25 - 26, 2017, October 24 - 28, 2017, and July 25 - 26, 2018, using a combination of surveying technologies to map and validate topography, structures, and other features at five sites in central South Dakota. The five sites included the Chamberlain Explorers Athletic Complex and the CPohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia Mangrove Elevation Survey Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field work efforts during February 15-23, 2017 and April 10-25, 2019 in the mangrove forests of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) with logistical assistance from the Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT) and field assistance from the Conservation Society of Pohnpei and the Pohnpei Department of Forestry. The field team combined the surveKootenai River Topobathymetric Lidar Validation Survey Data
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts during the week of September 25 - 29, 2017, using a combination of conventional surveying technologies, for a large stretch of the Kootenai River near Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The work was initiated as an effort to validate commercially acquired topobathymetric light detection and ranging (lidar) data. The goal was to coCountryMapper 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 e - Multimedia
- Publications
Absolute 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-dimensionAuthorsMinsu Kim, Jason M. Stoker, Jeffrey Irwin, Jeffrey J. Danielson, Seonkyung ParkElevations of mangrove forests of Pohnpei, Micronesia
Mangrove surface elevation is the crux of mangrove vulnerability to sea level rise. Local topography influences critical periods of tidal inundation that govern distributions of mangrove species and dictates future distributions. This study surveyed ground surface elevations of the extensive mangroves of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, integrating four survey technologies to solve issuesAuthorsJoanna C Ellison, Kevin J. Buffington, Karen M. Thorne, Dean B. Gesch, Jeffrey Irwin, Jeffrey J. DanielsonAirborne hybrid sensor maps the country: Multi-agency effort for testing a potential new hybrid 3DEP-NAIP sensor
No abstract available.AuthorsJason M. Stoker, Aparajithan Sampath, Minsu Kim, Jeffrey Irwin, Eric Rounds, Josh Heyer, Julie Davenport, Gabe Bellante, Tony Kimmet, Collin McCormick, John MootzPositional accuracy assessment of lidar point cloud from NAIP/3DEP pilot project
The Leica Geosystems CountryMapper hybrid system has the potential to collect data that satisfy the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Geospatial Program (NGP) and 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) requirements in a single collection. This research will help 3DEP determine if this sensor has the potential to meAuthorsMinsu Kim, Seonkyung Park, Jeffrey Irwin, Collin McCormick, Jeffrey J. Danielson, Gregory L. Stensaas, Aparajithan Sampath, Mark A. Bauer, Matthew Alexander BurgessGeneral 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 possibAuthorsMinsu Kim, Seonkyung Park, Jeffrey J. Danielson, Jeffrey Irwin, Gregory L. Stensaas, Jason M. Stoker, Joshua NimetzNon-USGS Publications**
João António Bessa Santos, Javier Santos-González, José Maria Redondo-Vega & Jeffrey Reed Irwin (2017) Glacial deposits in the Serra do Gerês Mountains (NW Iberian Peninsula): till macrofabric analysis, Physical Geography, 38:3, 263-285, DOI: 10.1080/02723646.2016.1276879
González Gutiérrez, R.B., Santos González, J., Santos, J.A., Cano, M., Irwin, J.R., Gómez-Villar, A, & Redondo Vega, J. (2019). Glacial geomorphology of the Sancenas karst massif (Cantabrian Mountains, Northern Spain). Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria. 42. 71-86. 10.4461/GFDQ.2019.42.6.**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.
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