Aerial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) methodology involves taking a scan of the ground below from an aircraft-mounted laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver. Using differences in the laser’s return times and reflected wavelengths, LiDAR can then be used to make 3-dimensional digital representations of the earth's surface and features.
In 2010, a Regional LiDAR Project was a cooperatively funded project of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Albuquerque District, and the MRCOG. The project acquired high resolution LiDAR data in Spring 2010 for an area of approximately 1,233 square miles in Sandoval, Bernalillo and Valencia Counties, New Mexico.