Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Practice Exam

A binary public file format used to interchange 3D light detection and ranging data is called?

1. ASCI

2. LAS

3. USGS DEM

4. TIFF

The correct answer is: LAS

The binary public file format specifically designed for interchanging 3D light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data is known as LAS. This format allows for the efficient storage and transmission of point cloud data derived from LiDAR technology, which captures detailed three-dimensional information about the Earth's surface. LAS files are structured in a way that facilitates the storage of not only raw point data but also metadata about the acquisition, such as GPS time, intensity, and classification of points. This capability is especially important in applications such as topographic mapping, forestry, and urban modeling. The other options listed serve different purposes: ASCI typically refers to a character encoding standard and is not specific to LiDAR data; USGS DEM (Digital Elevation Model) is a format used for representing terrain elevation but does not focus on the detailed point cloud data provided by LiDAR; and TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is primarily used for raster graphics and does not cater specifically to the unique needs of 3D point cloud data from LiDAR systems.