National lidar dataset
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A national lidar dataset refers to a high-resolution lidar dataset comprising most—and ideally all—of a nation’s terrain. Datasets of this type typically meet specified quality standards and are publicly available for free (or at nominal cost) in one or more uniform formats from government or academic sources. National LiDAR datasets are used primarily in LIDAR Contour Mapping, and also for forestry, urban and rural planning, recreational, environmental, engineering, and geological studies and planning, among others.
Countries with national lidar datasets either completed or in progress include:
| Country | Dataset Status | Resolution (pts/m2) | Source | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Completed, 2003 | 1/25 - 1/16 | [1],[2], | Pointspacing is 4-5 m for AHN-1 and 9 points/m2 for AHN-2. Data became available 2014. AHN-3 (third scan of the country, to be completed 2019) is partially available since September 2015 |
| Denmark | Completed, 2008, 2013 | 4 | [7],[8] | Pointspacing is from 4/m2 to 1.6m |
| Finland | Completed | 0.5 | [9] | |
| Poland | In progress | from 4 to 12 | [10] | IT project for protecting the country against extraordinary threats |
| Spain | In progress | 0.5 | [11] | It is part of national orthophoto project |
| Sweden | In progress | 0.5 | [12] | |
| Switzerland | Completed | 1 | [13] | |
| USA | In discussion | n/a | [14] | National LIDAR Dataset - USA |
| England | In progress | 0.5, 1.0, 4.0 and 16.0 | [15] | National LIDAR Dataset - England, carried out by the Environment Agency. 72% coverage of England at 2m resolution. Composite and Tiled (historic) LIDAR are available as Open Data. |