A video uses USGS National Map’s LiDAR Availability Viewer and LidarExplorer to examine possible anomalies. The presenter points to bright formations in hillocks, cross-hatching, a waterway appearing to end near a roughly 50-foot-high feature, and scattered car-sized boulders. Research shows that lidar intensity can distinguish quartz-rich sandstone from clay-rich mudstone, but it does not prove that the formations are quartz-filled or archaeological. The video also describes barefoot exploration for “energy signatures” as the presenter’s own method and reports petrified wood and a primary spring as field references. The archaeological interpretation requires ground-truthing and further research.
USGS LiDAR video points to possible archaeological anomalies
Site mentioned
📍 Hatchet Creek
Key facts
- The video uses USGS National Map’s LiDAR Availability Viewer (apps.nationalmap.gov/lidar-availability-viewer/) and LidarExplorer (apps.nationalmap.gov/lidar-explorer/) to examine possible anomalies.
- The presenter interprets bright hillock formations as containing quartz. Research shows that lidar intensity distinguishes some quartz-rich sandstones from clay-rich mudstones, but it does not establish that these formations are quartz-filled or archaeological.
- The presenter points to cross-hatching, a waterway appearing to terminate near a feature estimated at roughly 50 feet high, and scattered car-sized boulders. These interpretations remain unverified.
- The video presents barefoot exploration for “energy signatures” as the presenter’s own field method, not an established archaeological technique.
- The presenter reports finding petrified wood, including specimens described as half-room-sized, and using a primary spring as a reference point for field investigations.
Sources
LidarExplorer | U.S. Geological Survey - USGS.govusgs.gov
LidarExplorer is an online application that allows users to search and visualize Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) and its derived products.
USGS Lidar Explorer Mapapps.nationalmap.gov
Show Topobathy Lidar. Click on the map to retrieve information about a lidar project. Show options for filtering the lidar map display?
Lidar Availability Viewer Screen shot | U.S. Geological Surveyusgs.gov
Lidar Availability Viewer Screen shot ... By The National Map - Data Delivery April 2025 (approx.) Screen shot of the Lidar Availability Viewer.
LiDAR Availability Viewer - The National Mapapps.nationalmap.gov
You need to enable JavaScript to run this app. Identfier. USGS Home · Contact USGS · Search USGS · topoBuilder · HelpData DownloadServices LiDAR Availability ...
What is Lidar data and where can I download it? - USGS.govusgs.gov
The National Map is the primary repository for USGS base geospatial data. Access lidar data using: 3DEP LidarExplorer – Point cloud data and lidar-derived DEMs ...
Lidar Intensity as a Remote Sensor of Rock Propertiespubs.geoscienceworld.org
At the near-infrared wavelength of lidar, quartz-rich sandstones are more reflective than clay-rich mudstones. Scans of unweathered core and ...
Environmental Research LiDARrockrobotic.com
Quantify terrain, canopy, and habitat with precise, repeatable LiDAR data and cloud analytics.
Scale-dependent rock surface characterization using ...sciencedirect.com
by JD Aubertin · 2022 · Cited by 19 — This paper presents a scale-dependent method to characterize the overall surface roughness of rock, from 3D point clouds of rock surfaces collected using ...
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