PAMAP Program LAS Files (LiDAR Data of Pennsylvania)


Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:PAMAP Program, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey
Publication_Date:2006 - 2008
Title:
PAMAP Program LAS Files (LiDAR Data of Pennsylvania)
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place:Middletown, PA
Publisher:PAMAP Program, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey
Online_Linkage: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/pamap/documents/index.htm
Online_Linkage: ftp://pamap.pasda.psu.edu/pamap_lidar/cycle1
Description:
Abstract:
This dataset consists of classified LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) elevation points produced by the PAMAP Program. Additional information is available at the PAMAP website: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/pamap. PAMAP data are organized into blocks, which do not have gaps or overlaps, that represent 10,000 feet by 10,000 feet on the ground. The coordinate system for blocks in the northern half of the state is Pennsylvania State Plane North (datum:NAD83, units: feet); blocks in the southern half of the state are in Pennsylvania State Plane South. A block name is formed by concatenating the first four digits of the State Plane northing and easting defining the block's northwest corner, the State identifier "PA", and the State Plane zone designator "N" or "S" (e.g. 45001210PAS).
Purpose:
General-purpose aerial topographic survey of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. LiDAR data are useful for a variety of scientific and resource management applications such as hydrologic modeling, resource monitoring, mapping, global change research, and landscape visualization. These data were used in conjunction with color aerial photography to create color digital orthophotos, raster digital elevation models, and topographic contours (2 ft interval).
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date:2006
Ending_Date:2008
Currentness_Reference:
ground condition
Status:
Progress:Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency:Unknown
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -78.938
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -77.142
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.643
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.240
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus:ISO 19115 Topic Categories
Theme_Keyword:DEM
Theme_Keyword:LiDAR
Theme_Keyword:LAS
Theme_Keyword:imageryBaseMapsEarthCo
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus:ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword:elevation
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:None
Place_Keyword:Pennsylvania
Place_Keyword:Cameron County
Place_Keyword:Centre County
Place_Keyword:Clearfield County
Place_Keyword:Elk County
Place_Keyword:Blair County
Place_Keyword:Cambria County
Place_Keyword:Jefferson County
Place_Keyword:Indiana County
Access_Constraints:None
Use_Constraints:
The Originator, Publisher and Distributor exclude any and all implied warranties and make no warranty or representation with respect to the data files or accompanying documentation, including quality, performance, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. These data files and documentation are provided 'as is' and the User assumes the entire risk as to their quality and performance.  The Originator and Publisher, as indicated in the metadata, should be clearly cited in any product derived from this data. Any modifications to this data must be described in any digital or hardcopy product derived from this data.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Organization:PAMAP Program, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey
Contact_Position:Director
Contact_Address:
Address_Type:mailing and physical address
Address:
PAMAP Program
Address:
PA DCNR Topographic and Geologic Survey
Address:
3240 Schoolhouse Road
City:Middletown
State_or_Province:PA
Postal_Code:17057
Country:USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone:(717) 702-2053
Hours_of_Service:0800-1630
Data_Set_Credit:
PAMAP Program, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
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Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
The LiDAR flying height, field of view, laser repetition rate, aircraft speed, and the maximum baseline distances from the aerial platform to the ground based GPS stations have been fine tuned to ensure an RMSEz of the processed data at the 18.5 cm level for the bare earth surface as required by the FEMA guidelines.

See the PAMAP Technical Proposal dated January 11, 2006 for further QA/QC procedures.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
All files are inspected by the Production Manager to ensure that they conform to the specified file naming conventions, all files load in their correct geographic position, all files conform to the project specifications for file standard and content.
Completeness_Report:
All files are visually inspected for completeness to ensure that no gaps or misplacement exists in the data.  The files have been checked to ensure that the boundary and the content has been covered in its entirety.
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
The horizontal accuracy standard follows the NSSDA-1998 standard.  The maximum permissible RMSE for 95% of the horizontal check points for the mapping product is 5 feet or better.
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy:
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
Independent accuracy testing was performed by Dewberry using 100 high accuracy quality control checkpoints distributed on near level open bare terrain, high grass, brush, forest and urban terrain. Dewberry uses testing procedures consistent with those specified by both the NSSDA/FEMA and NDEP/ASPRS methods.

NSSDA/FEMA: (1) Compared to criteria RMSEz less than or equal to 0.61 ft in Open Terrain, tested 0.34 ft; (2) Compared to criteria Accuracyz less than or equal to 1.19 ft at 95% confidence level, tested 0.67 ft.

NDEP/ASPRS: (1) Compared to criteria Fundamental Vertical Accuracy less than or equal to 1.19 ft at 95% confidence level, tested 0.67 ft; (2) Compared to criteria Consolidated Vertical Accuracy less than or equal to 2.38 ft at 95% confidence level, tested 0.90 ft.
Lineage:
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:RETTEW Associates, Inc.
Publication_Date:20060424
Title:
GPS Photo Control Survey
Type_of_Source_Media:CD-ROM
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date:20060424
Source_Currentness_Reference:
ground condition
Source_Citation_Abbreviation:
GPS Ground Control
Source_Contribution:
GPS control points are used to support the acquisition of the imagery and LiDAR data.  A number of "blind-point" panels were established and used during the QA/QC check of the orthophotos, LiDAR data and contour information.  All horizontal and vertical control was prepared under the supervision of licensed Professional Land Surveyors.
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:Woolpert
Originator:LandAir
Publication_Date:20060430
Title:
LiDAR
Type_of_Source_Media:disc
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date:20060426
Ending_Date:20060430
Source_Currentness_Reference:
ground condition
Source_Citation_Abbreviation:
Raw LiDAR
Source_Contribution:
LiDAR elevation data used in the creation of the terrain surface.
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Horizontal and Vertical control points were acquired utilizing GPS collection techniques.  All control was prepared under the supervision of licensed Professional Land Surveyors.
Process_Date:20060424
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation:
GPS Ground Control
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
LiDAR collection and processing generally adhered to FEMA Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners, Appendix A: Guidance for Aerial Mapping & Surveying, Section A.8: Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Surveys.  Raw LiDAR data was collected using a sensor equipped with an airborne GPS/IMU system.  Flight lines with a 30% sidelap were flown with a nominal average LiDAR point spacing of 1.4 meters using a 43 degree field of view (full angle) at a laser pulse rate of 40.6 kHz.  In some areas, laser pulse rate/power were modified in order to achieve specifield point spacing.  As a result, these areas do not have more than 2 returns per pulse; see map at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/pamap/lidar_faq.aspx.  The raw LiDAR data is processed and filtered to remove LiDAR points on elevated features such as vegetation, buildings, cars, etc. in order to create a bare earth surface meeting the accuracies required for orthophoto and contour generation.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation:
Raw LiDAR
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation:
GPS Ground Control
Process_Date:20070308
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation:
Processed LiDAR
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person:Sandra Elfreth-Howery
Contact_Organization:BAE Systems
Contact_Position:Project Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type:mailing and physical address
Address:
124 Gaither Drive
Address:
Suite 100
City:Mt. Laurel
State_or_Province:NJ
Postal_Code:08054
Country:USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone:856-793-4287
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:sandra.elfreth-howery@baesystems.com
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Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method:Point
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Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Planar:
Map_Projection:
Map_Projection_Name:Lambert Conformal Conic
Lambert_Conformal_Conic:
Lambert Conformal Conic
Standard_Parallel:40.883333
Standard_Parallel:41.950000
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian:-77.750000
Latitude_of_Projection_Origin:40.166667
False_Easting:1968500.000000
False_Northing:0.000000
Planar_Coordinate_Information:
Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method:coordinate pair
Planar_Distance_Units:survey feet
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name:North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid_Name:Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major_Axis:6378137.000000
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio:298.257222
Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Altitude_System_Definition:
Altitude_Datum_Name:North American Vertical Datum of 1988
Altitude_Distance_Units:feet
Altitude_Encoding_Method:Implicit coordinate
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Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Overview_Description:
Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
Each LAS file contains the following fields for each point:  Class; Northing; Easting; Elevation; Intensity; Flight Line #; Echo Number; Echo Type.

The class field is defined as:  

Class 1 (Default) - These are the points that are a mixture of the remaining points after the ground classification.  These would contain bridges, overpasses, buildings, cars, parts of vegetation, etc.

Class 2 (Ground) - These are points on the bare earth surface.  They are from the automated processing, as well as the manual surface review.

Class 8 (Model Key) - These are the educated, thinned points to represent the final bare earth surface.  This is from our automated processing.  These are the points that we have used to generate the final contours.

Class 9 (Water) - These are points inside of hydrographic features, as collected by photogrammetric methods.  These are from automated processing, as well as the manual surface review.

Class 12 (Non-Ground) - These are points that are identified as first of many return or intermediate of many returns from the LIDAR pulse.  These are points that are most likely vegetation returns or points identified to be not on the ground surface.

Class 15 (Road Edges) - These are the points that fall within +/- 1.5' of road break lines.
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
Where applicable, all data conforms to the PAMAP Technical Proposal dated January 11, 2006.
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Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Organization:PAMAP Program, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey
Contact_Position:Director
Contact_Address:
Address_Type:mailing and physical address
Address:
PAMAP Program
Address:
PA DCNR Topographic and Geologic Survey
Address:
3240 Schoolhouse Road
City:Middletown
State_or_Province:PA
Postal_Code:17057
Country:USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone:(717) 702-2053
Resource_Description:The PAMAP Program distributes data directly to program partners. Public access to the data are available from both the Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA), and Penn State Center for Geographic Information Services listed below.
Distribution_Liability:
The USER shall indemnify, save harmless, and, if requested, defend those parties involved with the development and distribution of this data, their officers, agents, and employees from and against any suits, claims, or actions for injury, death, or property damage arising out of the use of or any defect in the FILES or any accompanying documentation. Those parties involved with the development and distribution excluded any and all implied warranties, including warranties or merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and makes no warranty or representation, either express or implied, with respect to the FILES or accompanying documentation, including its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose. The FILES and documentation are provided "as is" and the USER assumes the entire risk as to its quality and performance. Those parties involved with the development and distribution of this data will not be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use the FILES or any accompanying documentation.
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Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA)
Contact_Address:
Address_Type:mailing and physical address
Address:
Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment
Address:
115 Land and Water Building
City:University Park
State_or_Province:PA
Postal_Code:16802
Country:USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone:814-863-0104
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:pasda@psu.edu
Resource_Description:PASDA (www.pasda.psu.edu) provides public access to PAMAP orthoimagery, DEMs, contours, and lidar processing/contour enhancement lines as downloadable files and web services.
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Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:Center for Geographic Information Services
Contact_Position:Director
Contact_Address:
Address_Type:mailing and physical address
Address:
Penn State Institute of State and Regional Affairs
Address:
Penn State Harrisburg
Address:
777 West Harrisburg Pike
City:Middletown
State_or_Province:PA
Postal_Code:17057
Country:USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone:(717) 948-6428
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:(717) 948-6306
Resource_Description:The Pennsylvania State Data Center and the Center for GIS at Penn State Harrisburg handle bulk requests for PAMAP data, including LAS-format point cloud files, on a fee basis. For additional information, please visit http://cgis.hbg.psu.edu/pdf/PAMAP_Bulk_Order.pdf.
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Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date:20081121
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:PAMAP Program, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey
Contact_Position:Director
Contact_Address:
Address_Type:mailing and physical address
Address:
PAMAP Program
Address:
PA DCNR Topographic and Geologic Survey
Address:
3240 Schoolhouse Road
City:Middletown
State_or_Province:PA
Postal_Code:17057
Country:USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone:(717) 702-2053
Metadata_Standard_Name:FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version:FGDC-STD-001-1998
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