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Feds release new high-res Alaska maps Elevation maps based on 2-meter resolution commercial satellite imagery depict the surface of the state in astounding detail ALAN BAILEY Petroleum News
The White House has announced the publication by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Science Foundation of the first release of new high-resolution topographic maps of Alaska. The maps were generated from two-meter resolution images captured from commercial satellites.
The resolution of the maps is astounding. For example, a topographic image of Anchorage shows the pattern of buildings in the city and even depicts aircraft parked on the apron at Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport.
President Obama triggered the mapping project, called Arctic Digital Elevation Models, or ArcticDEMs, through an executive order in January 2015. The president’s visit to Alaska in the summer of 2015 reinforced the president’s determination to see first release of the new maps of Alaska in 2016, with the entire Arctic to be mapped by 2017, the White House says. The mapping initiative also comes in conjunction with U.S. chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
The maps are available to the public through a web portal at nga.maps.arcgis.com
High-speed imagery The use of satellite imagery and computer processing enables the detailed mapping of vast areas of territory at speeds previously unimaginable. And, using the imagery as a basis, the map producers have been able to generate various forms of shaded relief images, as well as traditional contour maps.
However, capturing of the imagery does require clear skies, a factor that can make the mapping of cloud-prone regions such as southeast Alaska challenging. Areas where there have been gaps in the coverage have been excluded from the initial release of the maps but should be filled in a subsequent release, based on imagery collected in June 2016, according to a statement published by the map producers.
Monitoring change The ability to rapidly obtain the data for the maps opens up the possibility of generating regular map updates, to monitor the changes over time of landforms including the monitoring of coastal erosion. Accurate mapping and monitoring can help identify buildings and infrastructure at risk from storm surges and identify places to safely shelter from storms. Satellite imagery can be collected and digital elevation models produced at regular intervals - weekly, monthly or annually - to observe and document changes as they occur, the White House says.
Under the leadership of the NGA and the NSF, a number of organizations have been participating in the map production. These organizations include the Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc., the U.S. Geological Survey, the state of Alaska, the Polar Geospatial Center at the University of Minnesota, Ohio State University, Cornell University and Blue Waters at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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