What is a .LAZ file?
A .LAZ file is a type of file that has been made smaller than its original form, which is called a .LAS file. These .LAS files are special because they hold information about the ground's surface, which is gathered using a method called Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR). This method helps scientists understand the Earth's surface better by collecting a lot of data. However, because these .LAS files can get very big due to all the data they contain, it's often a good idea to make them smaller, or compress them, so they take up less space and are easier to share with other people. This is where .LAZ files come in. They are the compressed version of .LAS files and can be up to 80% smaller than the original files, making them much more manageable.
To create a .LAZ file from a .LAS file, scientists use a tool called LASzip. This tool is part of something called LAStools, which is a set of tools designed to work with LIDAR data. When LASzip compresses a .LAS file, it turns it into a .LAZ file. This makes it easier to store a lot of data without needing a huge amount of space and also makes it simpler to send these files to other scientists or anyone who needs to work with the data.
If you have a .LAZ file that you need to open, you can use the LAStools software. This software understands how to work with .LAZ files and can help you access the data inside them. Since .LAZ files are just compressed versions of .LAS files, using the right tools to open them lets you see and work with the data about the Earth's surface that was collected using LIDAR technology.
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