Digital Spatial Data

Aerial Photographs/Orthophotos - Other Sources

USGS Urban Areas High-Resolution Orthoimagery (web)

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is acquiring high resolution color orthoimagery for the most populated metropolitan areas of the United States, such as Chicago and San Diego (not Milwaukee yet). The goal is to collect imagery over the metropolitan areas with a resolution of approximately 1/3 meter or about 1 foot. The imagery will be publicly accessible for free download as small files or larger areas on media (CD or DVD). As areas are processed they will be made available as a seamless product on the Seamless Data Distribution System (http://seamless.usgs.gov). List of covered areas is also available from the same site.

Spatial coverage:> Selected U.S. metropolitan areas
Temporal coverage: Varies (recent years)
Scale: N/A 
Resolution: 1/3 meters or about 1 foot 
Format: GeoTIFF 
Coordinate System: UTM (NAD83)
Access Constraints: None, broadband & high-speed internet connection is desired.

Microsoft TerraServer (web) 

http://www.terraserver.com

TerraServer started as a joint research project between TerraServer.com, Microsoft, the USGS and Compaq, and is the worldwide source of unequalled current digital satellite imagery and aerial photography in both color and black and white. Everyone can view all of the available imagery for free down to 8 meters of detail. But, if you need a detailed photo, then you have to purchase it from them. 

Spatial coverage: Global
Temporal coverage: Varies 
Scale: N/A 
Resulution: Varies 
Format: JPEG 
Coordinate System: N/A
Access Constraints: Please check the website

For the free US orthophoto viewing/printing, also check TerraServer USA.com (http://terraserverusa.com/).

SEWRPC

http://www.sewrpc.org/regionallandinfo/orthophotos/default.shtm

The seven-county Southeastern Wisconsin Region has a long history of aerial photography acquisition. Since 1963, the SEWRPC has obtained aerial photography as part of its regionwide planning activities.  The black and white aerial photo inventories have been collected at five-year intervals since 1970, and, since 1995, the aerial photography has been acquired in digital as well as hardcopy format. The Orthophoto Viewer is a mapping application that displays the year 2000 orthophotos for the Southeastern Wisconsin Region.

Spatial coverage: Southeastern WI
Temporal coverage: Varies 
Scale: N/A 
Resolution: Varies 
Format: Varies
Coordinate System: WI State Plane Coord. South, NAD27
Access Constraints: Contact SEWRPC to order/request the data

Return to top of page

Comments for the AGSL? Send them to agsl@uwm.edu.