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The National Map - Orthoimagery

July 15, 2009

Orthorectified digital aerial photographs and satellite images of 1-meter (m) pixel resolution or finer make up the orthoimagery component of The National Map. The process of orthorectification removes feature displacements and scale variations caused by terrain relief and sensor geometry. The result is a combination of the image characteristics of an aerial photograph or satellite image and the geometric qualities of a map. These attributes allow users to:

*Measure distance
*Calculate areas
*Determine shapes of features
*Calculate directions
*Determine accurate coordinates
*Determine land cover and use
*Perform change detection
*Update maps

The standard digital orthoimage is a 1-m or finer resolution, natural color or color infra-red product. Most are now produced as GeoTIFFs and accompanied by a Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)-compliant metadata file. The primary source for 1-m data is the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) leaf-on imagery. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) utilizes NAIP imagery as the image layer on its 'Digital- Map' - a new generation of USGS topographic maps (http://nationalmap.gov/digital_map). However, many Federal, State, and local governments and organizations require finer resolutions to meet a myriad of needs. Most of these images are leaf-off, natural-color products at resolutions of 1-foot (ft) or finer.

Publication Year 2009
Title The National Map - Orthoimagery
DOI 10.3133/fs20093055
Authors James Mauck, Kim Brown, William J. Carswell
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Series Title Fact Sheet
Series Number 2009-3055
Index ID fs20093055
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization National Geospatial Technical Operations Center
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