Just Discovered Lidar. Amazing Insight Into Old Sites

[SittingElf]

Would love for someone with the expertise to post a tutorial on using the data with Google Earth!  Lots of potential for this tech in Oklahoma, where the land rush happened in the 1800’s.  Probably many homesites that disappeared, and only known ghost towns have been explored. Much more as yet not found!

[TedinVT]

SittingElf,

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lidar_Dataset_(United_States)

I am by no means an expert on Lidar or its use.  I started out by contacting my state's GIS department about a week ago when I first heard about Lidar.  The link above gives some clue as to which states have data available.  This may be a good place to begin your search for data.  Living in a small state does have a few advantages - small, easier to map & easier to have a one-on-one conversation with the experts.  That said, my state is continuing to build, update and improve its Lidar data resources.  It was fairly easy to learn which data set to use and then the “View In” choices were pretty straight forward.  Google Earth was one of them and offered the most of what a metal detectorist looks for.  ArcGIS Online viewer was another choice.  GE was a no brainer for me.  Once I figured this out (more like stumbled into it) I was viewing Lidar images using the data my state has available in a matter of minutes.

I didn't see OK listed among the states in the above link.  I'm not sure how old that list is and this is a rapidly expanding effort so the list may not be the last word.  Find out if your state has a GIS department and make contact if you can.  Hope this helps.

GL & HH

[Chase Goldman]

Great topic.  I learned of this being used at the historic site I volunteer at as a detectorist assisting the site archeology department.

[Steve Herschbach]

Previous thread....

 

[dsb]

I have been searching for a towns original site for years. I wore my computer out on Google earth looking. Everything i read pointed to down stream from town's present site but couldn't find it but there was a spot upstream quite a ways that seemed odd and disrupted.  Then the GLO maps came out and that was the place! Hard to see it from the road due to terrain and brush but with layering lidar, glo, and google earth i could walk it with my phone. Amazing, oh not a chance in heck for permission.  I still try☺️.

[PseudoShooter]

This is great info.

Every summer I travel to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and I know that there is literally hundreds of undiscovered homesteads and other undisturbed sites of interest there.

Damn, I wish summer wasn't over, I want to go back now and dig.

[Cal_Cobra]

Pretty cool technology for sure.  I've seen several programs with Josh Hodgets on the Travel Channel using this technology to penetrate through jungles and other overgrown areas, and it's incredible what it's able to uncover.  

Unfortunately California and Nevada don't seem to be making use, or at least sharing any lidar data they may have.

 

 

[Alluminati]

My county is doing a LIDAR survey this year I believe. As far as I can tell the point clouds should be available for download when it's done.

[martygene]

has anyone figured out how to convert those las files to DEM files? and then can they be overlayed on Google Earth? or how to do that part? There must be quite a few cellar holes that were never surveyed that can be found with this LIDAR Yum..

[PG-Prospecting]

Ive used Whitebox GAT with limited success.  It took almost 2 days for it convert one tile.  

If they come in DEM already or once you figure out how to convert them, ive found that SAGA GIS is the best for overlaying DEMs on Google earth, thats if the embedded coordinates are correct.