Orthoimagery and elevation data derived from UAS imagery for Palmyra Atoll, USA 2016-Lesley, Dudley, and Ainsley Islands

This data set includes a point cloud, digital surface model (DSM), and orthoimagery of Lesley, Dudley, and Ainsley Islands at Palmyra Atoll, USA. Products were generated from aerial images collected in October 2016 using Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS, or "drones") with a Ricoh GRII digital camera. Imagery was processed using structure-from-motion photogrammetry that generates a three dimensional point cloud (.las) by identifying pixels from multiple images representing the same object and calculating the x, y, and z coordinates of that object/pixel. Point cloud data were processed to create a 6.5 cm resolution DSM (.tif) of the uppermost reflective surface (i.e., data have not been filtered for vegetation classes or height). Finally, source images were stitched together based on shared pixels and orthoganally adjusted to the DSM to create a 3.3 cm resolution orthoimage (.tif) for the study area.