El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico Canopy Change from Afar (2017-2018)
- Written by:
- Alex Kekesi and
- Ellen T. Gray
- Scientific consulting by:
- Doug C. Morton
- Produced by:
- Matthew Radcliff
- View full credits
Sample Composite that split screens the lidar swath over the El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico. During the split screen, 2017 data is on the upper left and 2018 data on the bottom right. As the camera moves northwest, the viewer can see patches of ground becoming visible in the 2018 data. This is due to the vast numbers of trees that were stripped or fell during Hurricane Maria in September 2017.
The extensive damage to Puerto Rico's forests had far-reaching effects, Morton said. Fallen trees that no longer stabilize soil on slopes with their roots as well as downed branches can contribute to landslides and debris flows, increased erosion, and poor water quality in streams and rivers where sediments build up.
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
Data visualizers
- Alex Kekesi (GST) [Lead]
- Cindy Starr (GST)
- Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC)
- Horace Mitchell (NASA/GSFC)
Writer
- Ellen T. Gray (NASA/HQ) [Lead]
Scientist
- Doug C. Morton (NASA/GSFC) [Lead]
Producer
- Matthew Radcliff (KBRwyle) [Lead]
Technical support
- Ian Jones (ADNET)
- Laurence Schuler (ADNET)
Data provider
- Hyeungu Choi (GST)
Series
This visualization can be found in the following series:Datasets used in this visualization
Airplane LiDAR (A.K.A. LiDAR 3D point cloud) (Collected with the G-LiHT sensor)
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.