Apparatuses and methods for gathering data describing a surface are disclosed. The apparatuses transmit pulses of light at a high rate using one or more fiber lasers. Examples of such apparatuses include laser ranging systems, such as light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems, and laser scanners. Data received from the apparatus by a data processing unit can be used to create a data model, such as a point cloud, digital surface model or digital terrain model describing the surface. The surface can be the surface of terrain and/or objects, for example. Use of the fiber laser results in many advantages, such as improved vertical surface discrimination, increased pulse rate, safety benefits, as well as other advantages.