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Topographic, aerial imagery, and unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) data for an aeolian dune field near Lees Ferry, AZ

Metadata Updated: April 2, 2024

These data were compiled for assessing how geomorphic changes measured as topographic differences from repeat surveys represent measured and modelled estimates of aeolian sediment transport and dune mobility. Objective(s) of our study were to investigate whether topographic changes can serve as a proxy for aeolian transport and sediment mobility in dunefield environments. This was accomplished by relating topographic changes to modeled and observed estimates of sediment transport and dune mobility over months to decades within a partially vegetated dunefield starved of upwind sediment supplies. We specifically tested if topographic changes measured as net and total volume changes and topographic surface roughness differences provide evidence for intra-annual differences and decadal changes in sediment mobility for dune sand that is either currently bare, vegetated, or biocrust-covered. Lastly, these data were used as a framework for interpreting how aeolian transport and sediment mobility has changed for current land cover types over the preceding four decades. These data represent monthly topographic surveys and in-field sediment transport data collected between February 13, 2020 and December 16, 2020, piloted aerial imagery collected in 1984, 2002, 2009, 2013, and 2021, unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery collected in March 2021, classification of land cover, and tabular summaries of topographic changes derived from these datasets. These data were collected between 1984 and 2021 within a small aeolian dunefield near the confluence of the Paria and Colorado Rivers, upstream of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. These data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey. These data can be used to 1) to evaluate how dune surfaces with bare sand, sand with vegetated cover, and sand with biological soil crust cover (biocrust) change on a monthly time scale with differences in wind strength and 2) assess how the dunefield surface changed with vegetation loss and expansion over almost 4 decades. Additionally, these data could be used to assess detailed changes in landscape cover over monthly and decadal time scales.

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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Dates

Metadata Created Date April 2, 2024
Metadata Updated Date April 2, 2024

Metadata Source

Harvested from DOI EDI

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date April 2, 2024
Metadata Updated Date April 2, 2024
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Maintainer
@Id http://datainventory.doi.gov/id/dataset/388cd1dcb505c525d3b303ee46e990b4
Identifier USGS:658ef99fd34e3265ab14d2a9
Data Last Modified 20240102
Category geospatial
Public Access Level public
Bureau Code 010:12
Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Metadata Catalog ID https://datainventory.doi.gov/data.json
Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id ce061a66-15f0-4d4e-8258-0f30dbddfac2
Harvest Source Id 52bfcc16-6e15-478f-809a-b1bc76f1aeda
Harvest Source Title DOI EDI
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial -111.5993,36.8602,-111.5958,36.8627
Publisher Hierarchy White House > U.S. Department of the Interior > U.S. Geological Survey
Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash 6d161a07d9eff84849e51a73ed5c04cb42d315cd4158b8c0fa4f760b2cfa6cfb
Source Schema Version 1.1
Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": -111.5993, 36.8602, -111.5993, 36.8627, -111.5958, 36.8627, -111.5958, 36.8602, -111.5993, 36.8602}

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