UAF Airborne Scanning Lidar (UASL)

satellite
Image
UASL image of Sourdough Rock Glacier, Alaska. Credit: University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Airborne Scanning Lidar (UASL) is a compact scanning laser altimeter that can fly on smaller aircraft. It was used in NASA's Operation IceBridge campaign. This laser altimeter collects 10,000 data points per second and has a scan angle of 30º to either side from straight down, which gives a scanning swath width roughly equal to aircraft height. This instrument is flown at a maximum of 1,500 feet, though lower and slower flights can yield higher density swaths.