does anyone know where i can find free lidar data (specifically digital terrain or surface models) for south america, africa, india, russia? i am looking for information with a resolution
I added a dataset of LiDAR data of two dune fields in southern Brazil to OpenTopography (http://dx.doi.org/10.5069/G9DN430Z ). The focus was de dunes area but there are some roads etc. Unfortunately most LiDAR dataset for Brazil are not open...
Unfortunately the >5 meter data is hardly available for free. The currently available free data is upto 30 meter (ASTER/SRTM) http://ws.csiss.gmu.edu/DEMExplorer/ LIDAR data is mostly available for the North America only through http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/. Digital Globe foundation provide free satellite imagery on request for the research. High Res Stereo imagery may be requested and later used to generate DSM,, http://www.digitalglobefoundation.org/imagery-grants-international
Thank you everyone. i managed to find some free lidar sample from Estonia and some sample of the worldDEM from airbus for China and Africa. AS well i also found some a free 2m DEM from satellite for Nepal provided by some researchers
Let me suggest you (and others) take a look at the global "New Map of Global Ecological Land Units" produced by ESRI, USGS, AAG, and GEO (group on Earth Observations). It's "ecophysiographic stratification approach" includes 34 layers of arborial, geological, geographic, and settlement data. While global, it can be easily focused to a specific area. ESRI h has published a free guide to this, and a white paper. The datasets are however free for use in any mapping program. You can find the ftp-downloads as raster GIS Datalayers at http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/otu-going/ecosystems/Global/ , I'm now exloring their utility for my own work.