Thermal State of Permafrost in North America - Orthomosaic Images and Digital Surface Models for Franklin Bluffs, Alaska, United States 2020-2025

This dataset contains orthomosaic images and digital surface models (DSMs) for an area of study near Franklin Bluffs 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. Flights from 2020 to 2022 were 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 [megapixels]). 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 State Plane 4 and ellipsoidal heights in meters.
The Franklin Bluffs site is located approximately 42 miles (67km [kilometers]) south of Deadhorse 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).