What is a digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ) or orthoimage?
A digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ)--or any orthoimage--is a computer-generated image of an aerial photograph in which displacements (distortions) caused by terrain relief and camera tilts have been removed. It combines the image characteristics of a photograph with the geometric qualities of a map.
Unlike an aerial photograph, an orthoimage has a uniform scale, so it can be used as a base map onto which other map information is overlaid. It is possible to measure directly on an orthoimage, just like other maps.
Learn more:
- Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ)
- High Resolution Orthoimagery (HRO)
- National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP, NAIP Plus)
Related
How can I bulk download USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) products? How can I bulk download USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) products?
The Bulk Download Web Application (BDWA ) lets users download large amounts of satellite, aerial imagery and other geospatial data. A video " Using the EarthExplorer BDWA," explains how to add scenes through EarthExplorer and retrieve them with minimal user interaction. An April 2023 webinar, " The New and Improved Bulk Download Web Application," also provides an overview of the tool. To receive...
How do I download orthoimagery products and what are the available formats? How do I download orthoimagery products and what are the available formats?
Download orthoimagery (georectified aerial photographs) using EarthExplorer, which has the full catalog of USGS orthoimagery and aerial photography. EarthExplorer: Products Overview Format varies by type of orthoimagery: Native format, Georeferenced Tagged Image File Format (GeoTIFF), or compressed 10:1 JPEG2000 A NAIP orthoimage is included as an optional layer in the PDF format of digital...
Why does my orthoimagery search on The National Map return multiple tiles for downloading? Why does my orthoimagery search on The National Map return multiple tiles for downloading?
Orthoimagery is usually very large in file size, so we stage the data in "tiles" that can be reasonably transported over the Internet. Orthoimagery from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) that is distributed via The National Map Data Download is in compressed 10:1, JPEG2000 format in 3.75 minute x 3.75 minute tile extents. A larger catalog of orthoimagery can also be downloaded using...
What are the URLs for imagery services in The National Map, and are they cached or dynamic? What are the URLs for imagery services in The National Map, and are they cached or dynamic?
There are several imagery services for The National Map. Some imagery services are cached and some are dynamic: USGSImageryOnly (under Base Maps), for example, is a tile cache base map service of orthoimagery. It has different imagery data sources depending on view scale. The USGSImageryOnly service uses cache tiles of 256x256 pixels in size and 96 dots per inch (dpi) resolution with 75%...
Will I be able to see my house in an aerial photograph? Will enlarging the image let me see more detail? 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...
Are the scanned aerial photographic images georectified? 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...
Related
How can I bulk download USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) products? How can I bulk download USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) products?
The Bulk Download Web Application (BDWA ) lets users download large amounts of satellite, aerial imagery and other geospatial data. A video " Using the EarthExplorer BDWA," explains how to add scenes through EarthExplorer and retrieve them with minimal user interaction. An April 2023 webinar, " The New and Improved Bulk Download Web Application," also provides an overview of the tool. To receive...
How do I download orthoimagery products and what are the available formats? How do I download orthoimagery products and what are the available formats?
Download orthoimagery (georectified aerial photographs) using EarthExplorer, which has the full catalog of USGS orthoimagery and aerial photography. EarthExplorer: Products Overview Format varies by type of orthoimagery: Native format, Georeferenced Tagged Image File Format (GeoTIFF), or compressed 10:1 JPEG2000 A NAIP orthoimage is included as an optional layer in the PDF format of digital...
Why does my orthoimagery search on The National Map return multiple tiles for downloading? Why does my orthoimagery search on The National Map return multiple tiles for downloading?
Orthoimagery is usually very large in file size, so we stage the data in "tiles" that can be reasonably transported over the Internet. Orthoimagery from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) that is distributed via The National Map Data Download is in compressed 10:1, JPEG2000 format in 3.75 minute x 3.75 minute tile extents. A larger catalog of orthoimagery can also be downloaded using...
What are the URLs for imagery services in The National Map, and are they cached or dynamic? What are the URLs for imagery services in The National Map, and are they cached or dynamic?
There are several imagery services for The National Map. Some imagery services are cached and some are dynamic: USGSImageryOnly (under Base Maps), for example, is a tile cache base map service of orthoimagery. It has different imagery data sources depending on view scale. The USGSImageryOnly service uses cache tiles of 256x256 pixels in size and 96 dots per inch (dpi) resolution with 75%...
Will I be able to see my house in an aerial photograph? Will enlarging the image let me see more detail? 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...
Are the scanned aerial photographic images georectified? 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...