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Early airplane photography was not without its technical difficulties. In 1911, this enthusiastic flyer photographed his own feet. (28k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center
San Diego, Calif., 1911. The aerial panorama, taken from a Curtiss Hydroplane, is thought to be the first photograph taken from an airplane in the U.S. (23k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center
George T. Murray photographed Salem, Massachusetts on June 26, 1914, following a disastrous fire. (64k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center
One
of the first aerial motion picture films shot in the US was made by E.R. Shaw,
who took the film while flying across Louisiana on December 17, 1911. (35k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center
Columbia Glacier, Alaska
Study of rugged and inaccessible glacier terrain is made easier by the use of aerial photography. (63k jpg)
From National Snow and Ice Data Center
New Jersey Coastline
Aerial photographs such as these allow scientists to monitor shoreline erosion. (48k jpg)
US Geological Survey Photograph
Kilauea Volcano
A record of Kilauea's recent volcanic activity is documented in this aerial view of the summit crater. (34k jpg)
US Geological Survey Photograph
Ohio River
Scars on the terrain tell the tale of the river's shifting path. (49k jpg)
US Geological Survey Photograph
Elongate dome folded from shale and sandstone beds. (70k jpg)
US Geological Survey Photograph
Mt. Mayon, Philippines
A unique view of a volcanic eruption is provided by this nighttime aerial shot.
(13k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center
Mt. Everest
Study of rugged and inaccessible glacier terrain is made easier by the use of aerial photography. (41k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA
Aerial
mosaic of Diyala Plains in Iraq. Ancient canal systems are visible. (61k jpg)
Courtesy of Robert McCormick Adams
Close up aerial view of the same region. Traces of the linear canals can be easily located in the upper left and right. Also visible are an ancient dam (center) and the basin where the water backed up behind it. (47k jpg)
Courtesy of Robert McCormick Adams
Map of Diyala canal systems from the period between 637 and 883 AD. By combining the information gathered both in the field and from aerial photography, the layout of the canals can be mapped for different periods. (36k jpg)
Courtesy of Robert McCormick Adams
The canal system in the period between 883 and 1150 AD. (61k jpg)
Courtesy of Robert McCormick Adams
U-2 aircraft view of the ancient pyramids at Giza. (76k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA
Landslides and an 8-meter (26-foot) wave combined to ruin most of the businesses in Seward. (64k jpg)
Courtesy of Dino Brugioni
Turnagain, a town on the outskirts of Anchorage, experienced the largest landslide in the region. Up to 400 meters (1300 feet) wide, the slide destroyed 75 homes. (94k jpg)
Courtesy of Dino Brugioni
An
earthquake-induced sea wave destroyed the port at Kodiak. (52k jpg)
Courtesy of Dino Brugioni
Guatemalan Earthquake
U-2 Cameras caught this scene of the destruction caused by the Guatemalan earthquake of 1976. The quake resulted in more than 22,000 deaths and 75,000 injuries. (58k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA
Washington, D.C. Flood
In 1936, the Potomac River inundated low-lying areas of Washington, DC. The Washington Monument is visible on the left. (23k jpg)
From the National Archives
Conza Di Compania, Italy
The View from the air provides a quick assessment of the extent of the damage to this town in Italy destroyed by a major earthquake in 1980. (100k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA
Love Canal in 1951 (61k jpg)
Courtesy of Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service and US Department
of Agriculture
Love Canal in 1980 (79k jpg)
Courtesy of National Ocean Service, U.S. Department of Commerce
Underground fire in Centralia, Pa. seen with a heat-measuring instrument. (58k jpg)
Courtesy of EPA's Environmental Photographic Interpretation Center
High-Altitude photograph of Typhoon Ida. (26k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA
Enviropod camera system (47k jpg)
The Enviropod camera system can be strapped to a waiting plane with no modification, for rapid response to environmental emergencies. (29k jpg)
From the EPA's Environmental Photographic Interpretation Center
Cape Cod, Massachusetts from 19,800 meters (65,000 feet). (33k jpg)
NASA Photograph
Ascension Parish, Louisiana from 12,200 meters (40,000 feet). (66k jpg)
Courtesy of National High Altitude Photography Program, EROS Data Center,
US Geological Survey
Furnas County, Nebraska from 12,200 meters (40,000 feet). (56k jpg)
Courtesy of National High Altitude Photography Program, EROS Data Center,
US Geological Survey
High resolution view of New Orleans from about 13,000 meters (42,000 feet). (44k jpg)
Courtesy of Raytheon Systems Company
The same scene enlarged 12 times. (61k jpg)
Courtesy of Raytheon Systems Company
The same scene enlarged 24 times. (62k jpg)
Courtesy of Raytheon Systems Company
Side-looking Airborne Radar image of the De Long Mountains region in Alaska. The "smiling face" is in reality a geologic structure of folded rocks called a syncline. (15k jpg)
Courtesy of EROS Data Center, US Geological Survey
Side-looking Airborne Radar image of the Ugashik region of Alaska. (45k jpg)
Courtesy of EROS Data Center, US Geological Survey
Piecing together aerial mosaics at the Training School at Chanute Field, Illinois, in the 1920s. (37k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center
Laying mosaics at the Photo Interpretation Center on Guadalcanal. Mosaic lines between the photos are clearly evident. Today digital images can be processed by computer to produce smoother image transitions. (38k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center
Stereo photography allows the interpreter to see the ground in three dimensions by viewing overlapping scenes. This stereopticon or "parlor stereoscope" is an example of an early instrument which employed the stereo effect for entertainment. (20k jpg)
To
acquire aerial stereo photography a series of overlapping photos must be taken
along a designated flight line. So that stereo coverage of an area will be complete,
the amount of overlap for each adjacent pair of photos must be greater than
50%. (18k jpg)
Carquinez Bridge, Calif. (44k jpg)
Sunset Crater, Ariz. (102k jpg)
Mt. Capulin, N.Mex. (66k jpg)
Menan Buttes, Ida. (55k jpg)
The 1938 aerial view shows farmlands on Neville Island. (24k jpg)
From the National Archives
In 1948, the island shows signs of development. Apartment complexes have sprung up and a large earth scar on the island's tip indicates increased construction. (28k jpg)
US Geological Survey Photograph
Dark patches suggest dumping of liquid wastes in 1952. (29k jpg)
US Geological Survey Photograph
By 1959, a long narrow holding trench has been constructed for liquid wastes. A new road leading to the shoreline may have been built to facilitate dumping in the channel. Trenches indicate burial of solid wastes. (25k jpg)
US Geological Survey Photograph
The 1969 photo shows that solid waste disposal has ceased, but many dark patches of liquids still remain. (21k jpg)
US Geological Survey Photograph
In the view from the spring of 1973, liquid wastes have been dumped right along the central road. Note that the apartment buildings have been knocked down suggesting plans for new development. (21k jpg)
US Geological Survey Photograph
By the fall of the same year all dumping has ceased. (22k jpg)
US Geological Survey Photograph
The scene from 1979 shows the completed recreation area which is empty and abandoned because of the hazards of wastes buried many years before. (26k jpg)
Courtesy of EPA's Environmental Photographic Interpretation Center
In this near infrared view from 1980, bright red represents healthy vegetation. The paler spots indicate areas where the long-forgotton wastes inhibited growth of grass in the park. (34k jpg)
US Geological Survey Photograph
Building the Memorial Bridge
An aerial photo from 1927 shows the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and construction on the Memorial Bridge. (65k jpg)
From the National Archives
Aerial Parking Survey
Parking was a concern as early as 1930 when this photo was taken to inventory the parkers around the Capitol. (43k jpg)
From the National Archives
The Tidal Basin
Construction on the Jefferson Memorial was recorded on film in 1940. The monument was completed in 1943. (49k jpg)
From the National Archives
Inauguration Day, 1941
An aerial photographer documented Franklin Roosevelt's third Inauguration ceremony. Note the absence on the Mall of the Museum of American History, the National Gallery's East Wing, and the Air and Space Building. (62k jpg)
From the National Archives
Washington, DC in the 1990s
Both the growth of the city and the advances in aerial photography are reflected in this scene from 1994. (103k jpg)
U.S. Geological Survey National Aerial Photography Program photo
Sioux Falls in 1937. Note the sinuous pattern of the Big Sioux River, especially to the northeast. (61k jpg)
Much urban expansion is shown in the 1951 aerial view. An airport has been constructed and the Big Sioux has been "straightened out" by flood control measures north of the city. (69k jpg)
City growth has continued through 1968. Clover leaf highways are now evident. Because of spring floods due to heavy snowfall to the north, flood control has been expanded. Note the change in the river's course west of the city. (77k jpg)
High altitude photograph from 1984. This view is marked by the spread of housing developments especially to the west. (60k jpg)
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