LiDAR

LiDAR (__Li__ght __D__etection __A__nd __R__anging) is a modern survey method that produces three-dimensional spatial information in the form of a data point cloud. LiDAR is an active remote sensing system; it produces its own energy to acquire information, versus passive systems, like cameras, that only receive energy. LiDAR systems are made up of a scanner, which is a laser transmitter and receiver; a GNSS (GPS) receiver; and an inertial navigation system (INS). These instruments are mounted to an aircraft. The laser scanner transmits near-infrared light to the ground. The light reflects off the ground and returns to the scanner. The scanner measures the time interval and intensity of the reflected signals. This information is integrated with the positional information provided by the GNSS and INS to create a three-dimensional point cloud representing the surface. A LiDAR system can record millions of points per second, resulting in high spatial resolution, which allows for differentiation of many fine terrain features. Point clouds collected with LiDAR can be used to create three-dimensional representations of the Earth’s surface, such as Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and Digital Surface Models (DSMs). DEMs model the elevation of the ground without objects on the surface, and DSMs model ground elevations as well as surface objects such as trees and buildings. LidarBC's Open LiDAR Data Portal (see link under Resources) is an initiative to provide open public access to LiDAR and associated datasets collected by the Government of British Columbia. The data in the portal is released as Open Data under the Open Government Licence – British Columbia (OGL-BC). Four Government of British Columbia business areas and one department of the Government of Canada make LiDAR data available through the portal: * GeoBC * Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) * BC Timber Sales (BCTS) * Forest Analysis and Inventory Branch (FAIB) * Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) GeoBC is the provincial branch that oversees and manages LidarBC’s Open LiDAR Data Portal, including storage, distribution, maintenance, and updates. Please direct questions to LiDAR@gov.bc.ca.