Free LiDAR Data Sources

1. Open Topography

Open Topography has made our list of the 10 best free global raster and vector data sources. So why not have them at #1 in a list specializing in LiDAR data sources?

If you don’t know about Open Topography, you should probably take a peek. The beauty behind Open Topography is its open community system. When users register, they can upload their data so that the larger community can access it.

You too can help grow Open Topography into one of the biggest open data portals for free LiDAR data. Pretty neat.

• Open Topography is a collaborative data repository for LiDAR users.
• Intuitive web map displays LiDAR points as downloadable data with metadata

2. USGS Earth Explorer

Previously, USGS LiDAR data could be accessed through CLICK (Center for LiDAR Information Coordination and Knowledge). However, this service is now being provided by the USGS Earth Explorer.

So you want USGS Earth Explorer LiDAR data? If you’re new to this platform, we have a quick guide to download data on the USGS Earth Explorer.

For LiDAR, it’s a simple process:

First, enter your search criteria (kml, coordinates, etc.). Next, select the checkbox for LiDAR in the data sets tab. Finally, click the results tab to see what LiDAR datasets are available.

• Search for LiDAR data with a user-friendly state-of-the-art interface
• Filter searches by time and set region of interests in map by predefine areas and coordinates

Also, USGS Earth Explorer sits on top of our 15 free satellite data sources, so it’s definitely worth your time to know it inside out.

3. United States Interagency Elevation Inventory

There’s been a movement in the United States for a National LiDAR Dataset. This initiative is being led by the United States Interagency Elevation Inventory (USIEI). Also, it’s in collaboration with NOAA and USGS.

Several states have moved forward in their own collections. To see exactly which states they are, the USIEI Inventory gives you this information along with vertical accuracy, point spacing, and date of collection. Downloading the physical data is not so straight-forward. The National LiDAR Dataset Wikipedia page maintains download source locations.

• LiDAR sources are decentralized with partial and incomplete data across the United States
• USIEI LiDAR data viewer displays the nationwide listing of known high-accuracy topographic data

4. NOAA Digital Coast

NOAA’s mission (in the sense of LiDAR data) is clear. Overall, they want to capture coastal area LiDAR data. This data is then served to the public.

NOAA’s Digital Coast web-map gives you the ability to know exactly where coastal LiDAR is located in the United States. This makes your search for coastal LiDAR data a no-brainer. Go with NOAA.

• Slick web application to search, analyze and download free LiDAR data.
• Draw area of interest and click LiDAR data download.

5. LIDAR Online

Who knows? This may be where the future of LiDAR is going – a global LiDAR map. Don’t laugh. We have the Earth mapped with optical imagery already.

LiDAR Online’s mission is ambitious. No matter where you live, this data source shows you exactly where on Earth is LiDAR. Admittedly, a little bare now in terms of LiDAR sources, LiDAR Online shows a lot of promise.

• LiDAR spans the globe – mostly Europe, North and South America and Africa.
• Webmap with points delineating free LiDAR data sources.

6. National Ecological Observatory Network – NEON

One of the cool things about the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is that they are funded by the National Science Foundation. Another neat thing about NEON is the amazing work they are doing with airborne LiDAR to map out vegetation stands.

Although some of NEON’s data may not have sufficient QA/QC to meet the end-user’s needs, we still think NEON’s airborne LiDAR data has some serious potential.

• Minimal selection of LiDAR because in construction phase
• Beginning of a collection of publicly available LiDAR

7. Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland

On the websites below you find Lidar data from the Netherlands. Its called “Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland”. It was collected during 3 periods.

AHN1: 1996 – 2003

AHN2: 2007 – 2012

AHN3: 2014 – 2019

The data is available in different resolutions and free downloadable.

AHN1: 100, 25 and 5 meter maaiveldraster (surfaceraster) and a “puntenwolk” pointcloud

AHN2 and 3 are available in 0.5 and 5 meter maaiveldraster (surfaceraster) and a pointcloud

Download:

AHN 1 and 2:

https://www.pdok.nl/nl/producten/pdok-downloads/atomfeeds

AHN3:

https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?useExisting=1&layers=9039d4ec38ed444587c46f8689f0435e

8. Goescience Australia

Goescience Australia has free LiDAR data sets http://www.ga.gov.au/elvis/

9. Oregon Lidar Data

https://gis.dogami.oregon.gov/lidarviewer/

Free raster lidar and vector data. Accessible on mobile devices! 3ft rasters compiles from high density lidar point cloud.

10. National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping

Supported by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), NCALM is an online data distribution center. NCALM’s mission is to provide research-quality airborne LiDAR data to the scientific community and advance the state of the art in airborne laser mapping.

This site provides public access to high-resolution airborne laser swath mapping data acquired by NCALM for NSF sponsored research projects. One can also visualize the location of the available projects and download data files using a Google Earth interface. The interface also provides on the fly, multi-resolution shaded relief overlays for the LiDAR DEM that can be used to preview the data and see the accurate extent of the dataset. The Google Earth KML file can be used off-line to browse project locations and meta data.

11. Puget Sound LiDAR Consortium

Set up in 1999, Puget Sound LiDAR Consortium (PSLC) is an informal group of local agency staff and Federal research scientists devoted to developing public-domain high-resolution LiDAR topography and derivative products for the region. The initial data contributors were Kitsap County, Kitsap PUD, City of Seattle, Puget Sound Regional Council, NASA, and the USGS, and it has been joined by Clallam and Island counties. The PSLC has been acquiring high-quality LiDAR data for over a decade in the Pacific Northwest region. Most of this dataset is adequate for determination of flood hazards, for geologic mapping, for hydrologic modelling, for determination of slope angles, for modelling of radio-wave transmission, and similar uses with a level of detail appropriate to a horizontal scale of 1:12,000 or smaller and vertical accuracy on the order of a foot.

12. data.gov US

https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/lidar-data-download

The home of the U.S. Government’s open data, data.gov, has a section where you can find LiDAR-Elevation data that can be downloaded.

13. Environment Agency UK

The Environment Agency of UK made its LiDAR data free for use in 2015 to encourage businesses and communities to build flood risk models. As of now, the Environment Agency’s LiDAR data archive contains digital elevation data derived from surveys carried out by the Agency’s specialist remote sensing team. Accurate elevation data is available for over 70% of England, which has been merged and re-sampled to give the best possible coverage. The data, which is available at 2 meter, 1 meter, 50 cm, and 25 cm resolution, can be supplied as a DSM or as a DTM produced by removing objects from the Digital Surface Model.

14. National Geographic Institute Spain

The download center of the National Geographic Institute Spain provides data that covers entire territory of Spain by point clouds with X, Y, Z coordinates and attributes such as classification or color, obtained by airborne LiDAR sensors. The density of points is 0.5 points per sq meter in the first coverage and 1 point per sq meter  in the second coverage. The applications of the project cover a wide range such as digital models of land; surface models of buildings, vegetation, power lines or communication lines; studies of flood areas; hydrographic models; automatic detection of terrain modifications or elements such as buildings; base for Orientation maps among others.

15. National Land Survey of Finland

The National Land Survey of Finland has been collecting laser scanning data to produce elevation models and collect information about forest resources. Currently laser scanning data is available only from certain parts of Finland and the aim is to cover the entire country in a few years. All laser scanning data is available as a version where the points that represent the ground surface are automatically classified at the NLS File service of open data. You can choose the data you want and select its format and coordinate system, as well as the area the data covers.

16. Grindgis

https://grindgis.com/data/free-lidar-data-download

17. G-LiHT:  Goddard's LiDAR, Hyperspectral & Thermal Imager

G-LiHT is a portable, airborne imaging system that simultaneously maps the composition, structure, and function of terrestrial ecosystems using:

1. LiDAR to provide 3D information about the distribution of foliage and canopy elements; 
2. imaging spectroscopy to discern species composition and variations in biophysical variables; and
3. thermal measurements to quantify surface temperatures and detect heat and moisture stress.  

G-LiHT enables data fusion studies by providing coincident data in time and space, and provides fine-scale (<1 m) observations over large areas that are needed in many ecosystem studies.

G-LiHT Data Center Webmap: https://gliht.gsfc.nasa.gov/

 

Reference

[1] Top 6 Free LiDAR Data Sources

   https://gisgeography.com/top-6-free-lidar-data-sources/

[2] Did you know which are the sources for free LiDAR data?

   https://www.geospatialworld.net/blogs/did-you-know-the-sources-for-free-lidar-data/

[3] 9 Free LiDAR viewers - LIDAR and RADAR Information

   http://lidarradar.com/review/9-free-lidar-viewers

[4] 9 List of LIDAR processing Tools & Tutorials

   http://lidarradar.com/review/9-list-of-lidar-processing-tools-tutorials

[5] Free LiDAR Tools

   https://www.idaholidar.org/free-lidar-tools/

[6] Free LiDAR Data Sources - LIDAR and RADAR Information

   http://lidarradar.com/info/free-lidar-data-sources

[7] LiDAR Data Download

   https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/lidar-data-download

[8] Free LiDAR Data Sources List - Download LiDAR

   https://grindgis.com/data/free-lidar-data-download