Tag Archives: The Geospatial Times

Our Changing Landscape – The Midwest Growing Season 2010

Posted on February 7 2013 by Katie

In this monthly feature, we span the globe and examine Our Changing Landscape with time series of medium resolution RapidEye satellite imagery. The RapidEye archive dates back to late 2008 and already contains more than 3 billion square kilometers of data. This month, we travel to the Midwest and look at changes in crop development over rural Logan County, Illinois.

The RapidEye Constellation

RapidEye is a constellation of five 5-meter medium resolution satellites each offering five spectral bands of information. The RapidEye constellation offers a daily revisit time to every location on the planet with a huge footprint that is … Read more

Outside the Box – Hetch Hetchy Valley

Posted on February 7 2013 by Katie

The O’ Shaugnessy Dam holds nearly 360,000 acre feet of water in the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. But it also not without its controversies as most of the people in the greater San Francisco area appreciate the water it provide. Though a growing minority believe the valley should be returned to its natural condition, and that the residents should find better water alternatives and importantly, become more efficient in their water intake. 50-cm natural color image captured August 22, 2012 by WorldView-2 (WV-2), courtesy of DigitalGlobe. Photo enhanced by Apollo Mapping.
… Read moreAn overhead view of a wild vein of the Tuolumne

Update on DigitalGlobe Precision Aerial Imagery Program – USA & Europe

Posted on February 7 2013 by Katie

As approved resellers of DigitalGlobe, Apollo Mapping is proud to offer imagery products from the first-ever 30-centimeter (cm) natural color orthoimagery layer covering the lower 48 states of the United States of America as well as significant portions of Europe. Scheduled to be completed by mid-2013, this impressive dataset will cover more than 10 million square kilometers (sq km). Microsoft and DigitalGlobe have partnered on this long-term project, utilizing an exclusive aerial sensor – the UltraCamG – to collect the most accurate and visually appealing imagery available on the market.


… Read moreFull resolution previews of natural color 30-cm DigitalGlobe aerial imagery

Monthly Update on Astrium GEO’s Countrywide 2.5-meter SPOTMaps

Posted on February 7 2013 by Katie

In this monthly article, we provide details on updates released each month to Astrium GEO’s 2.5-meter (m) SPOTMaps product. SPOTMaps is an orthorectified natural color imagery layer with coverage over more than 100 countries – totaling an impressive 101 million square kilometers (sq km). For projects requiring a value-priced basemap better than what 15-m Landsat can offer, there is no other choice than SPOTMaps.


A 2.5-meter SPOTMaps simulated natural color image collected over Cairo, Egypt. © CNES 2012, Distribution Astrium Services / Spot Image S.A., France, all rights reserved

SPOTMaps Updates & New Areas – January 2013

Portions of Chad … Read more

Reaching Orbit – Landsat Data Continuity Mission

Posted on February 7 2013 by Katie

On February 11, 2013, NASA will launch the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) into orbit. Once launched and operational, it will be referred to as Landsat 8, joining Landsat 5 and 7 in orbit. The successful launch of LDCM will ensure that over 40 years of Landsat data collection continues to go uninterrupted. The Landsat mission is integral to our understanding of the Earth and how it has changed over time and continues to change.

To gain insight on how people use Landsat data, check out the video above. (Movie credit: NASA)
… Read moreThe Landsat Data Continuity Mission undergoing tests to

GFAQ – Why Is My Imagery All Black?

Posted on February 7 2013 by Katie

For this month’s Geospatial Frequently Asked Question (G-FAQ), I offer a freeware solution to a problem many of you may have encountered when downloading free Landsat and/or ASTER data: you open the file and the imagery is simply a big black tile! You might even ask yourself, “What? Did I download the imagery incorrectly?!”
Well, the answer is a resounding, “Nothing is wrong, you just need to color balance that data!” While I have explored the topic of color balancing in previous G-FAQs (you can read more here, Part 1 and Part 2), the discussion was meant for advanced … Read more

Back to School – Homeless Populations

Posted on February 7 2013 by Katie

City center as marked by the two main roads crossing in the diagram above. For the most part, the transitional shelters are arranged in an east-west distribution across the region.
Highest capacity transitional shelters and most emergency shelters are located near city center. This is likely due to the lower number of permanent residents in the area.

Researchers at The Ohio State University undertook a study to evaluate whether the homeless shelter system in Columbus, Ohio is achieving its missions. After interviews with personnel involved in the administration of the system, as well as with those who use the shelters, … Read more

Small World – Reggio Emilia, Italy

Posted on February 7 2013 by Katie

No one has ever crafted a building in my honor, but then again, I am not the Virgin Mary. A late 16th Century revelation of the Madonna led to this beautiful structure’s creation. 50-cm natural color image captured June 4, 2010 by WorldView-2 (WV2), courtesy of DigitalGlobe. Photo enhanced by Apollo Mapping.
… Read moreThe hallowed ground of the Cimiterio Monumentale de Reggio Emilia is just a short walk from the Basilica. Its inhabitants no doubt played important roles for the town, church and now to history. 50-cm natural color image captured June 4, 2010 by WV-2, courtesy of DigitalGlobe. Photo enhanced