Recommendations to the Collection of Airborne Imaging Data for the Optimization of Structure-from-Motion Processing

NOAA Remote Sensing Division’s North Slope, Alaska airborne imaging data is a fantastic geospatial resource for a data-poor coastal region of the Arctic. This collection provides a high-resolution snapshot of a rapidly changing environment that is exhibiting some of highest coastal retreat rates in the United States (Jones et al., 2008; Lantuit et al., 2012; Barnhart et al, 2014; Gibbs & Richmond, 2015). To better understand how raw imaging data from this collection will perform with Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry in this area, initial work has been carried out to better understand its strengths and weaknesses in the context of DEM production through SfM workflows. Informed by the results of this initial work and a review of current best practices in the field of SfM photogrammetry for the geosciences, this document presents a collection of recommendations to enhance RSD airborne image collection, processing and dissemination. The goal of this document is to assist in expanding the utility and value of future RSD collections across the Nation’s many coastlines by promoting optimal data collection parameters for SfM photogrammetry.