How does the return-number enumerating system work in the All-Returns ASCII data?
The return-number enumerating system varies by project. For all PSLC Lidar data, the scan can record up to 4 returns per pulse. For project flown in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004, there is only one field called “return#”. This is the return number for the pulse that emitted that return. For Project flown in 2003 and 2005 (expecpt for the 2005 Olympic Peninsula project) the following system applies: “Total # of Returns in Pulse” (also known as “total_return#) is the total returns that a pulse emitted (up to a maximum of 4). “Current Pulse Return number” (also known as “return#”) is assigned as a number from 1 to 7 in a scheme that identifies which return is the last return recorded for a pulse. See below for a description of this scheme. 1 first return with subsequent returns detected 2 second return with subsequent returns detected 3 third return with subsequent returns detected 4 fourth return 5 first return with no subsequent returns detected 6 second return with no subsequent returns de
