Aerial Photography and Remote Sensed Imagery

National and International | Minnesota

While this list is not exhaustive, its goal is to identify and provide access to as many online resources for aerial photography and remote sensed imagery as possible. Please contact the Borchert Map Library at the address to the left with suggestions for additions to this page

 

For information about the Borchert Map Library's extensive collection of aerial photography, primarily of the State of Minnesota, please visit our Aerial Photography in the Borchert Map Library page

 

National AND International

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Landsat 7
Landsat 7 is a U.S. satellite use to acquire remote sensed imagery of the Earth; site includes images from various Landsat projects

NASA Earth Observatory
Provides new satellite imagery and scientific information; the focus is on Earth’s climate and environmental change

NASA Planetary Photojournal
Includes images of Earth and other planets

National Archives Cartographic and Architectural Records
The National Archives holdings include over 15 millions maps, charts, aerial photographs, architectural drawings, patents and ship plans; while these items are not available online, information about ordering reproductions is available here

National Digital Orthophoto Program (NDOP)
Chartered in 1993 as a consortium of Federal agencies with the purpose of developing and maintaining national orthoimagery coverage in the public domain by establishing partnerships with Federal, State, local, tribal, and private organizations; provides links to imagery sources and data sites

NOAA National Ocean Service Data Explorer
Offers interactive mapping tools that allow users to locate NOS products in any area in the United States and its territories through a metadata catalog, including imagery

NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data In Information Service (NESDIS)
Per its homepage, "provides timely access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources to promote, protect, and enhance the Nation's economy, security, environment, and quality of life"

Terraserver USA
Operated by Microsoft and partnered with the U.S. Geoglogical Survey, this site provides free public access to a vast data store of topographic maps and aerial photographs of the United States

TopoZone
Operated by Microsoft and partnered with the U.S. Geoglogical Survey, this site provides free public access to a vast data store of topographic maps and aerial photographs of the United States

USDA Farm Service Agency Aerial Photography Field Office
Primary source of aerial imagery for the United States Department of Agriculture with over 10,000,000 images; imagery dates from 1955 to present

U.S. Geological Survey home

• Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles
  Provides an explanation of DOQs and how to obtain them from the USGS
• Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles (USGS Fact Sheet 057-11, May 2001)
  An overview of the production of and uses for USGS DOQs
• Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS)
  Data available via the EROS Data Center (EDC) includes aerial photography, maps products, elevation products, satellite products and land cover products
• Landsat Project
  Homepage for the world’s longest continuously acquired collection of space-based land remote sensing data
• Looking for an old aerial photograph (USGS Fact Sheet 127-96, May 1997)
  Fact sheet on finding old aerial photography
• National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP)
  Information about NAPP, including how to obtain images
• National High Altitude Photography Program (NHAP)
  Information about NHAP, which operated from 1980-89, including how to obtain images
• PhotoFinder
  The "quick and easy way to find and order Aerial Photos" from USGS
• USGS Global Visualization Viewer
  A "quick and easy online search and order tool for selected satellite data"

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Minnesota

Resources in this section are produced by Minnesota state and local agencies. Aerial photographs and remote sensed imagery of Minnesota are also available in the NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL section

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Aerial photography in the Borchert Map Library
Online index of the John R. Borchert Map Library's aerial photography holdings, primarily of the State of Minnesota

Metropolitan Council
The regional planning agency serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area and providing essential services to the region. The Metropolitan Council obtained aerial photographic coverage of the seven county metropolitan area for the years 1966, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1980, 1987, 1990 and 1997 for land-use planning. They also provide digital orthophotography (DOQs) of the seven-county metropolitan area from 2000 - present via GIS at the Metropolitan Council

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources home

• Airphotos Online
  Providies direct access to the most recent color infrared aerial photographs taken by Minnesota DNR for forest management
• DNR Data Deli
  Provides easy access to a wide variety of spatial data to the Minnesota GIS community at no cost, within the constraints of the Minnesota DNR GIS Data License Agreement; includes FSA and USGS land imagery
• ForNet Applications
  Collction of applications allowing users to view maps and satellite images of Minnesota; includes the Boundary Waters Blowdown Pages, Airphotos Online, Minnesota Wildfire Information Center, the MapMobile, ImageView, ForestView, and ChangeView
• Maps
  Interactive and downloadable maps and airphotos from the DNR, including recreation, hunting and natural resource management maps

Minnesota Land Management Information Center (LMIC)
Serves Minnesota by helping other government and non-government organizations achieve better, faster, and more cost-effective results for the state through the creative use of GIS and other geospatial information technologies; includes USDA FSA NAIP images and information for Minnesota

• NorthStar Mapper
  From the Minnesota Land Management Information Center's Office of Geographic and Demographic Analysis -- interactive map with layers for place names, roads, boundaries (city, county, etc.), parks, forests, water features, land cover and elevation. Also has a drop-down box near the bottom of the page with aerial photography (statewide and Twin Cities) and topographic map layers
• Aerial Photography of Minnesota
  Contains links to information about the major photography programs (i.e. NAPP, FSA, USGS, etc.) that produce or produced aerial photographs of Minnesota
• Minnesota Geographic Data Clearinghouse
  Serves as a convenient source for geographic data, ranging from simple state maps to complex geospatial data needed to power Geographic Information Systems; provides access to a wide variety of sources making it the first stop for geographic data for Minnesota

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