Thermal State of Permafrost in North America - Orthomosaic Images and Digital Surface Models for Deadhorse, Alaska, United States 2022-2025

This dataset contains orthomosaic images and digital surface models (DSMs) for an area of study near Deadhorse in northern Alaska, USA (United States of America). The data were collected to further support ongoing research that aims to assess geomorphological and environmental changes near ground temperature monitoring sites, and to provide spatial data for validation of land surface deformation models. The 2022 flight was conducted using a DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations) Phantom 4 RTK (P4RTK) equipped with a DJI D-RTK 2 Mobile Base Station for real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning. For flight missions in 2023 and beyond, we utilized a DJI Matrice M300 RTK (M300RTK) drone equipped with a DJI Zenmuse P1 camera and a 35mm (millimeter) lens (45MP). An Emlid RS3 GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) base station was used for RTK positioning. All images were processed using Agisoft Metashape (v.2.2.0) following a standard three-dimensional mapping processing workflow utilizing ground control points measured in the field for horizontal and vertical corrections and reliable reproduction from year to year. All DSM and orthomosaic files are projected using NAD83 (North American Datum of 1983) State Plane 4 and ellipsoidal heights in meters.
The Deadhorse site is located approximately 5 miles (8km [kilometer]) south of the community of Deadhorse, Alaska on the inner coastal plain with river terraces along the Sagavanirktok River. Landcover units include Graminoid-moss tundra and graminoid, prostrate-dwarf-shrub, moss tundra (wet and moist nonacidic).