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Welcome

The mission of the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) is to:

  • Provide research-quality airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) observations to the scientific community.
  • Advance the state of the art in airborne laser mapping.
  • Train and educate graduate students with knowledge of airborne mapping to meet the needs of academic institutions, government agencies, and private industry.

NCALM is based at the University of Houston and is operated in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley. The center is supported by the National Science Foundation and is associated with the multi-disciplinary Geosensing Systems Engineering & Sciences graduate program at the University of Houston.

News

NCALM Seed Project Program is Back with Expanded Eligibility

2024 Seed Proposal Period: November 14, 2024–January 15, 2025 In August of 2024, NSF Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) and the Facilities and Instrumentation Program (IF) renewed funding for… 		The NCALM Seed Project Program is back for two more cycles with expanded eligibility.
New NCALM Datasets in CA, CO, LA, and WY Now Available

Six new NCALM (National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping) datasets covering portions of California, Colorado, Louisiana, and Wyoming are now available from OpenTopography. Continue reading… 		3D point cloud colored by elevation of lava tubes in the Lava Beds National Monument in California. (Credit: OpenTopography)
NCALM Receives NSF Renewal Funding

NCALM Renewed and Will Include New Program The National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping is pleased to announce that we have received NSF funding, for two more years, in our sixth project… 		National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping
C-ViSER Sees the Future of AI in Structural Engineering

By: Alex Keimig Can artificial intelligence transform the practice of structural engineering? Imagine a future where structural engineers not only rely on their own knowledge and experience… 		Hoskere discusses the applications of AI for design and evaluation of structures with PhD students. (Credit: Cullen College of Engineering)
New NCALM Datasets in Texas, Arkansas, and Idaho Now Available

Three new NCALM (National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping) seed datasets covering portions of Texas, Arkansas, and Idaho are now available from OpenTopography. The dataset, "… 		Panel of Digital Terrain Model, Digital Surface Model, and Canopy Height Model datasets over a section of the Trinity River. (Credit: OpenTopography)