Earth ID: 4652

Brazilian Rainforest Canopy Change at Mission Start 2013-2014-2016

Visualizations by Alex Kekesi Released on June 12, 2018

This data visualization starts in 2013 with an airplane collecting lidar data. As the plane flies overhead, the stationary viewer finds themselves amongst the recently collected treetop canopy. The viewer then drifts upward getting a better view of the beginning of the data swath. Areas that change between 2013 and 2014 are then highlighted and the data transitions fully to what the canopy looked like in 2014. Next, areas of change between 2014 to 2016 are highlighted and then fully transition to the canopy in 2016. Being able to see this level of change allows scientists to carefully monitor the foliage turnover rate in this remote part of the world.

This visualization shows the resolution of LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging) canopy data over the Brazilian rainforest and how successive passes in 2013, 2014, and 2016 can be used to track change to the treetop canopy over time. Together these data points provide scientists with information on foliage distribution and the elements of the tree canopy. Similar LIDAR technologies are used to measure terrain topographies on the Moon and Mars.

Used Elsewhere In

Amazon Canopy Comes to Life through Laser Data

Brazilian Rainforest Logged Area Canopy Change 2013-2016

50 Kilometers of Brazilian Forest Canopy

A 3D Forest Map

Flying Through LIDAR Canopy Data

Brazilian Rainforest Area Canopy Change 2013-2014-2016

Visualization Credits

Alex Kekesi (GST): Lead Data Visualizer
Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC): Data Visualizer
Horace Mitchell (NASA/GSFC): Data Visualizer
Cindy Starr (GST): Data Visualizer
Doug C. Morton (NASA/GSFC): Lead Scientist
Veronika Leitold (University of Maryland): Scientist
Laurence Schuler (ADNET): Technical Support
Ian Jones (ADNET): Technical Support
Hyeungu Choi (GST): Data Provider

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

Science Paper:
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.15110

Short URL to share this page:
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4652

Data Used:
Airplane/G-LiHT/LiDAR 3D point cloud 2013-2014-2016
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.

This item is part of this series:
Lidar

Keywords:
SVS >> HDTV
SVS >> Lidar
SVS >> Tree height
GCMD >> Location >> Brazil
SVS >> Hyperwall
NASA Science >> Earth
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Spectral/engineering >> Lidar

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0