Is certification available for scanned aerial photographic products?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (EROS) can only certify that the product downloaded through our website is an authentic reproduction of an official record of the government that is in the legal custody of the USGS EROS Center.
See the standard Authenticity of Digital Imagery document.
Related
Are the scanned aerial photographic images georectified?
Scans of traditional aerial photography film products (air photos) are not georectified. The USGS does, however, offer several orthoimagery (georectified aerial photograph) products: Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ) High Resolution Orthoimagery (HRO) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP, NAIP Plus) NAIP orthoimagery has been collected for the entire conterminous United States every 3...
How much area does an aerial photograph cover?
The area covered by an aerial photograph (air photo) depends on the scale of the imagery. Most air photos were taken on 9 x 9 inch film. The chart below reflects coverage for a variety of photographic scales. Scale 1 inch = feet 1 side (miles) Area (square miles) 1:12,000 1000 1.70 2.9 1:20,000 1667 2.84 8.1 1:24,000 2000 3.41 11.6 1:40,000 3333 5.68 32.3 1:58,000 4833 8.23 67.73 1:63,360 5280 9...
Is there a cost for aerial photograph products?
Download medium-resolution scans (400 dpi) of aerial photography products at no charge using EarthExplorer. We are working on high-resolution scans (25 micron or 1,000 dpi) that can also be downloaded at no charge. With over 8.4 million frames of imagery in our archive, scanning will take many years to complete, but about 80% of high-resolution scans are currently available. If you can't find a...
What do the different colors in a color-infrared aerial photograph represent?
Color-infrared (CIR) aerial photography--often called "false color" photography because it renders the scene in colors not normally seen by the human eye--is widely used for interpretation of natural resources. Atmospheric haze does not interfere with the acquisition of the image. Live vegetation is almost always associated with red tones. Very intense reds indicate dense, vigorously growing...
Will I be able to see my house in an aerial photograph? Will enlarging the image let me see more detail?
The ability to see specific items in an aerial image is mostly a function of scale and resolution. The following aerial photography products all have a resolution of 1 meter or better, so you should be able to see an object the size of a house: High Resolution Orthoimagery (HRO) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ) Use EarthExplorer to search for...
Using high-resolution digital aerial imagery to map land cover
The Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) has used aerial photography to map land cover/land use on federally owned and managed lands for over 20 years. Until recently, that process used 23- by 23-centimeter (9- by 9-inch) analog aerial photos to classify vegetation along the Upper Mississippi River System, on National Wildlife Refuges, and in National Parks. With digital...
Authors
J.J. Dieck, Larry Robinson
Oblique Aerial Photography of the Arctic Coast of Alaska, Nulavik to Demarcation Point, August 7-10, 2006
The Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska, an area of strategic economic importance to the United States, is home to remote Native American communities and encompasses unique habitats of global significance. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic and widespread; recent evidence suggests that erosion rates are among the highest in the world (up to ~16 m/yr) and may be...
Authors
Ann E. Gibbs, Bruce M. Richmond
Historical Orthoimagery of the Lake Tahoe Basin
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Geographic Science Center has developed a series of historical digital orthoimagery (HDO) datasets covering part or all of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Three datasets are available: (A) 1940 HDOs for the southern Lake Tahoe Basin, (B) 1969 HDOs for the entire Lake Tahoe Basin, and (C) 1987 HDOs for the southern Lake Tahoe Basin. The HDOs (for 1940, 1969...
Authors
Christopher E. Soulard, Christian G. Raumann
Related
Are the scanned aerial photographic images georectified?
Scans of traditional aerial photography film products (air photos) are not georectified. The USGS does, however, offer several orthoimagery (georectified aerial photograph) products: Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ) High Resolution Orthoimagery (HRO) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP, NAIP Plus) NAIP orthoimagery has been collected for the entire conterminous United States every 3...
How much area does an aerial photograph cover?
The area covered by an aerial photograph (air photo) depends on the scale of the imagery. Most air photos were taken on 9 x 9 inch film. The chart below reflects coverage for a variety of photographic scales. Scale 1 inch = feet 1 side (miles) Area (square miles) 1:12,000 1000 1.70 2.9 1:20,000 1667 2.84 8.1 1:24,000 2000 3.41 11.6 1:40,000 3333 5.68 32.3 1:58,000 4833 8.23 67.73 1:63,360 5280 9...
Is there a cost for aerial photograph products?
Download medium-resolution scans (400 dpi) of aerial photography products at no charge using EarthExplorer. We are working on high-resolution scans (25 micron or 1,000 dpi) that can also be downloaded at no charge. With over 8.4 million frames of imagery in our archive, scanning will take many years to complete, but about 80% of high-resolution scans are currently available. If you can't find a...
What do the different colors in a color-infrared aerial photograph represent?
Color-infrared (CIR) aerial photography--often called "false color" photography because it renders the scene in colors not normally seen by the human eye--is widely used for interpretation of natural resources. Atmospheric haze does not interfere with the acquisition of the image. Live vegetation is almost always associated with red tones. Very intense reds indicate dense, vigorously growing...
Will I be able to see my house in an aerial photograph? Will enlarging the image let me see more detail?
The ability to see specific items in an aerial image is mostly a function of scale and resolution. The following aerial photography products all have a resolution of 1 meter or better, so you should be able to see an object the size of a house: High Resolution Orthoimagery (HRO) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ) Use EarthExplorer to search for...
Using high-resolution digital aerial imagery to map land cover
The Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) has used aerial photography to map land cover/land use on federally owned and managed lands for over 20 years. Until recently, that process used 23- by 23-centimeter (9- by 9-inch) analog aerial photos to classify vegetation along the Upper Mississippi River System, on National Wildlife Refuges, and in National Parks. With digital...
Authors
J.J. Dieck, Larry Robinson
Oblique Aerial Photography of the Arctic Coast of Alaska, Nulavik to Demarcation Point, August 7-10, 2006
The Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska, an area of strategic economic importance to the United States, is home to remote Native American communities and encompasses unique habitats of global significance. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic and widespread; recent evidence suggests that erosion rates are among the highest in the world (up to ~16 m/yr) and may be...
Authors
Ann E. Gibbs, Bruce M. Richmond
Historical Orthoimagery of the Lake Tahoe Basin
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Geographic Science Center has developed a series of historical digital orthoimagery (HDO) datasets covering part or all of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Three datasets are available: (A) 1940 HDOs for the southern Lake Tahoe Basin, (B) 1969 HDOs for the entire Lake Tahoe Basin, and (C) 1987 HDOs for the southern Lake Tahoe Basin. The HDOs (for 1940, 1969...
Authors
Christopher E. Soulard, Christian G. Raumann
Updated Date: January 31, 2022