High-Resolution Lidar Now Available to Study Rock Glacier Dynamics
OpenTopography has released a new NCALM Seed grant dataset collected in August 2025 for Juliana Ruef at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The dataset covers 67 km² in the San Juan Mountains and provides high-resolution airborne lidar point clouds and 1-meter digital elevation models to support detailed monitoring of rock glacier motion, dynamics, and geomorphic processes. Rock glaciers are important indicators of permafrost and periglacial activity in high-elevation environments, and this lidar data will enable researchers to track surface deformation, flow rates, and landscape evolution with greater precision.
Dataset Link: Mapping Rock Glaciers in the San Juan Mountains, CO 2025.
Related News:
NCALM Announces 2025 Alaska Seed Proposal Awardees
New 2025 Airborne Lidar Datasets Available on OpenTopography