EVS-Islands

Espiritu Santo NH - EVS Precision Map

A simple slideshow is all you get with this post. A simple slideshow of a detailed map of Espiritu Santo island. What I intended to demonstrate with this post is how detailed a shoreline one can create at EVS precision. Mapping created from 1-meter resolution imagery is far superior to Landsat ETM+. However, nothing in the public sector rivals EVS precision. Not WVS, Not NGA PGS, Not DCW. No non-commercial shoreline mapping rivals it. Not many commercial shorelines mapping rival it either. The nice thing about mapping at EVS precision, once it is finished there is no reason to redo. It is finished. And tonight, so am I.

Enjoy!

Labels: EVS Precision, map, Pacific Ocean, Vanuatu

Posted by Mr Minton at 6/14/2008 10:33:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Nukutavake Atoll - EVS Precision Map (1:25,000)

The second map is the new and improved version of my EVS Precision island maps. Not only have I made better use of the text fonts found in Marplot, but I've added a North Arrow. Also, and most important, I've adjusted the colors. I promise that any of you creating a large body of original maps will find yourselves constantly tweeking the colors. This particular color pallet is probably version 101. Seriously, colors are the ultimate subjective layer of information one places on a map. Quite often they reflect your moods. If you are having a bad day, wierd colors result and a good day leads to peaceful earth-tone pastels.

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Nukutavake Island (Noukoutawake) is a small island, of coral formation, located about 8 miles NW of Pinaki. It is about 3 miles long in an E-W direction, and is wooded except at its E end. There is a radio station on the island.In May, June, and July the population of this atoll moves to Vairaatea, and in August, to Pinaki to harvest copra.

(SD Pub-126)

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Group: Centre East Group Archipelago: Tuamotu Archipelago Country: France - French Polynesia - Tuamotu Is. Region: Oceania 18 Lat: 19.28º S Long : 138.78º W Area: 4.5 sq. km Altitude: ? m Depth to nearest land: 3000 m Nearest island: 14.5 km @ 143° (Atoll Pinaki) Group: 980 km Nearest continent: South America Distance: 5400 km Isolation Index: 108 ISLAND TYPE: low coral Natural Protection Indicator: 2 CLIMATE: tropical CATASTROPHIC THREATS: cyclones Threat Indicator: 1 ECOSYSTEMS: Coconuts; fringing reef Number of Ecosystems - Terrestrial: 1 Marine: 1 Percent shoreline: Coral Reef: 99% Mangrove: 0% HUMAN OCCUPATION: Uninhabited, ? Population: 0 Density: 0.0 persons/sq. km Major Human Activities: coconut plantations Percent population in agr/mining/fishing: 17% Human Threat Indicator: 1 Gross Domestic Product: $ 7236 per capita Economic Pressure Indicator: 4 DATA RELIABILITY: Data Rel. Indicator: 1 HUMAN IMPACT INDEX HI: 5 CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE INDEX CI-Terrestrial: 5 Low CI-Marine: 4 Low Last updated: 27/02/89

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Nukutavake (aka Queen Charlotte Island) is an atoll located in the eastern part of the Tuamotu Archipelago at 138°48’ west longitude by 19°17’ south latitude. It is 1,125 kilometers (699 miles) from Papeete. British Captain Samuel Wallis was the first European to discover this atoll in 1767. This is a unique atoll because although it is flat and of coral formation, it has no lagoon. While some accounts claim there are no signs of there ever having been a lagoon, other accounts claim that what was once a lagoon has been entirely filled in by sand and limestone particles from the external coral reef. Part of the atoll is covered by dense vegetation, while the rest has a coconut tree plantation covering some 800 hectares (1,977 acres). Nukutavake is 5.2 kilometers (3.2 miles) long. Its width ranges from 450 meters (1,476 ft.) to 1.3 kilometers (0.81 miles) in the director of the village. The atoll covers an area of 360 hectares (890 acres).

The village, located in the northeastern part of the atoll, has some streets and a main road from the coast and the coconut plantation. There is an aerodrome 800 meters (2,625 ft.) south of the village, linking the atoll to the outside world. There is a whaleboat dock opposite the village that allows for transferring people and cargo from and to cargo ships that anchor offshore. The 1996 census recorded a population of 196 persons. The atoll is the administrative center for a district made up of the associated districts of Vahitahi and Vairaatea.

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This island was mapped quickly. Not carelessly, but quickly. It took about 1-hour to digitize and create the map. Another 30-minutes to post and comment.

Also, the discovery of the additional island information from the web site of the President of French Polynesia (what a job!) will enhance the information associated with this island. I did send him an email to present my website. However, no reply as yet.

Enjoy!

Labels: atoll, EVS, Global Mapper, island, Landsat, map, Marplot, Pacific, Polynesia, Tuamotus

Posted by Mr Minton at 2/03/2008 09:45:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

First about Global Mapper (GM) and why I use it. My work on islands is all about loading very large raster images (Landsat ETM+ mosaics). Each file is 100 to 300 MBs in size using MrSid format. Them is some big files! GM makes loading these very large files a snap. I select the file and it's loaded within seconds. I might add, properly georectified as well. Some of my projects require multiple Landsat images. No problem. I believe the largest file that can be handled by GM is up to 4 GBs.

Once I have the images loaded, I begin digitizing. Again, it's a snap. Digitizing in GM is precise and extremely flexible. After a brief learning curve, one is digitizing to their heart's content. Once the various layers of information have been created, the export choices are numerous.

Now my favorite part about the GM product - Mike. Mike is Global Mapper. I don't know if this is actually the case, but I visualize Mike working out of a small office. His phone isn't ringing, because he does all of his customer interaction via the web. He works daily with customers tweaking his excellent mapping program. Many times I read within the GM group that a customer wishes that something could be added, or a portion of the GM program adjusted, or a process simplified and most often within minutes to a few hours, Mike makes the change and posts the improved version of the program for all clients to retrieve. For this service, which is unparalleled in the industry, he charges nothing. He wants his product to be the best it can be and he knows that it is ultimately the end-user that is the best source from which to learn how to improve his program. If he can make the change, he makes it. If the change requires extensive programming, he makes the change more slowly, but he makes it. If the change is beyond his vision of what his program should be, he will provide you with a work-around or tell you straight that he isn't able to make the change. Mike does what every business should do - listen to the customer and respond quickly with a solution, not a promise of a solution, but a finished solution. Mike is the best!

I have other mapping software, but when I call them for answers, they want to charge me. If I work with them online, they give me happy talk about my question and they definitely do not make changes to their program in realtime. Most often, they tell me why something can't be done. Whereas, Mike just makes the change and provides the updated program to you.

All of you folks in charge of a product or service, LISTEN UP! Here is how Mike does his business and how you should - He reads your request. He answers your query. He adds to, changes or adjusts his program to satisfy your request. He makes the changed program available to his clients. All of this at no charge, and typically done the same day. And for his efforts, he has an extremely loyal and growing customer base.

That's good business! And that's why I continue to use GM.

Enjoy!

PS - GM is still my favorite mapping product for my type of projects and Mike is still the greatest when it comes to quality customer service.

Labels: Customer Service, digitizing, Global Mapper, map

Posted by Mr Minton at 10/22/2007 11:31:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Rapa Iti - NE Coast GeoTIFF Image False Color (1:10,000)

I have been working on a redo of Rapa Iti Island, using an exquisite, cloud-free GeoTIFF image, for the past month, an "on-again, off-again" project. I have completed the island's revised shorelines taking them from EVS precision to EEVS precision. That is from Enhanced Vector Shorelines using Landsat ETM+ base imagery to Extremely Enhanced Vector Shorelines using 1-meter resolution base imagery. The "zooming" capabilities of EEVS are pretty amazing. If you map it, one could zoom in to view your backyard which is in need of mowing.

Anyway, the revised Rapa Iti shoreline is finished. I still have a variety of vegetation layers to digitize, along with human ground signatures (dwellings, roads, paths, harbor features, etc). Before I tackled these challenging layers I thought I would quickly generate topographic contours. Using Global Mapper's "Generate Contours" routine, one merely needs to import the appropriate SRTM image for your area of interest, select a few options and one has contours generated in seconds. These contours, when SRTM is accurate and complete (no voids), accurately reflect the elevations of your target area. But, SRTM tiles often have little voids, which can be quickly filled using software tools (my personal favorite is SRTMFill) and in certain areas, big voids, which are difficult to reliably fill. After much thought, research and counting my money (I hate to spend money on pricey software), I decided to use a tried-and-true method "eye-ball-it". Any cartographer worth their salt cringes at this method. Too often, unscrupulous map-makers foist their finished product off as a rigorously crafted map following standard cartograph protocols, when, in fact, the map is more fiction than fact - none of which speaks kindly of the "eye-balling" method. However, since I do not have the means to obtain surveyed contour lines or modified SRTM data of my target island, I'll just "eye-ball" this portion of the project. This involves looking at the underlying land features and comparing them to accurate, reliable contours, guess-timating possible alignment of the various misaligned contour tracks (i.e., 20-meters, 40-meters, etc) and finally realigning them.

Rapa Iti - NE Coast Misaligned Contours Realigned (1:10,000)

Let's begin with Maputu Pt or the NE Coast of Rapa. Because the SRTM data was incomplete, containing a large void (no data or incomplete data), this point had contours that were spilling into the ocean.

Rapa Iti - NE Coast SRTM Base Image Misaligned Contours Realigned (1:10,000)

The above image shows the SRTM limits as a darker shade of green, when, in fact, the actual shoreline is west of the SRTM shoreline. Using the GeoTIFF image, I was able to realign the misaligned contours (see the blue contours). The method I used is "eye-balling". I looked at the shape of the easterm side of the point and beginning with the highest elevation, I realigned each contour level. The eastern side of Maputu Point appears to be quite steep, based on the GeoTIFF image and my contour realignments.

Rapa Iti - NE Coast EEVS Map with Realigned Contours Draped over SRTM Image using GM's 3D Effect (1:10,000)

Using Global Mapper's 3D Effect, I was able to see my work in a different, more revealing way. I think my "eye-balling" of the misaligned contours works quite well.

Rapa Iti - NE Coast GeoTIFF Image False Color (1:10,000)

From my GeoTIFF image to . . .

Rapa Iti - NE Coast EEVS Map Misaligned Contours Realigned (1:10,000)

Rapa Island, Maputu Point using EEVS precision (hi-res imagery). The green contours are generated from SRTM data. The blue contours are my realigned contours. They track the elevations more accurately then the SRTM based contours.

Rapa Iti - S Coast GeoTIFF Image False Color (1:10,000)

Rapa Iti - S Coast Misaligned Contours (1:10,000)

Along with the misaligned contours in the NE, another area of misaligned contours is along the southern shore. Looking at the GeoTIFF image without contours, one sees a coastline fronted by some pretty steep south facing slopes. Looking at the contours generated from the SRTM data, it is very easy to locate the problem contours. The steep slope is either poorly defined or nondefined by contours. Based on SRTM data, it appears the immediate shoreline is a very steep cliff fronting the shore. The contours do nothing toward resolving the remainder of the slope. Also the point that extends out is not defined.

Rapa Iti - S Coast EEVS Map Misaligned Contours Draped over SRTM Image with 3D Effect (1:10,000)

Looking at the contours draped over the SRTM image the reason for the misalignment is obvious. Where there should be elevation data there is none.

So I will carefully "eye-ball" the slope and assigned contours where I guess-timate they belong. You know and I know these realigned contours are nothing more than educated guesses. In the case of this map of Rapa and in consideration of the quality of the base GeoTIFF imagery, the educated guesses will ultimately lead to a good map that is useful to gather an understanding of the topography of this island. If I were to have actual contours that could be applied to this map, I could produce a high quality product useful for a wide variety of purposes. As it is, my map containing "eye-balled" contours will be a quality product useful for a variety of purposes.

Stay tuned. This project should be finished within the next few weeks. Then, you be the judge.

Enjoy!

Labels: contours, EEVS, EVS, French Polynesia, GeoTIFF, Global Mapper, map, misaligned, Rapa Iti

Posted by Mr Minton at 10/16/2007 08:35:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Balesin Island RP

Balesin Island - Landsat Image N-51-10_2000 (1:31,250)

Balesin Island - EVS Marplot Map (1:31,250)

I don't purposely work on islands that have "claim's to fame", but all of the ones I have worked on seem to have interesting stories to tell. Balesin Island is no exception. Seems this small island is the location of a high-class resort. You and 40 of your friends can enjoy the miles of sandy beaches. Just pony up $85 per room per night and transportation to the island. Your accomodations are top rate. The service is exquisite. Everything is first class.

I was going to say something silly, but I won't. I have never been to the island, but one of the websites that sells the islands attributes makes it look great. Now, alittle about why I mapped it.

One of my students wants to become a cartographer. During my lunch time, I showed her how I go about making an island map. Since I had this Landsat image loaded on my computer at school, I slected a small island, Balesin Island. I showed her how to digitize a shoreline and the various layers of additional information that I would map to complete this project. I estimated that this project would require an additional 4-hours of work. It has taken about 6-hours to complete. Tomorrow, I'll share this completed project with my aspiring cartographer. Hopefully, she will remain inspired.

Enjoy!

Labels: EVS, Landsat, map, Marplot, Pacific, Philippines

Posted by Mr Minton at 9/19/2007 09:30:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Ostrov Tyuleniy - Google Map Locator

Ostrov Tyuleniy - Landsat Image N-38-40_2000 (1:50,000)

Ostrov Tyuleniy - EVS Map (1:50,000)

This Caspian Sea island is off of the coast of Dagestan. I have been digitizing this island for the past week. It was a fairly complex project due to the marshland that makes up much of the island. My research uncovered reports on Tyuleniy birds, insects, fish and crude oil exploration. The crude oil exploration was conducted back in 2005 by the German company Wintershall. Turns out they are one of the big players in the world of oil. They are working with Russian groups to explore this potentially oil rich region in the Caspian. My look into Wintershall's website did not uncover any additional information.

I like my map. It looks good and is as accurate as Landsat imagery allows.

Enjoy!

Labels: Caspian Sea, EVS, Google, Landsat, map, Marplot, Russia, Wintershall

Posted by Mr Minton at 9/17/2007 11:42:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Dao Bach Long Vi - Landsat Image N-48-20_2000 (1-17,500)

Dao Bach Long Vi - Marplot Map (1-17,500)

I haven't posted one of these in a long time. It is an Enhanced Vector Shoreline of a Vietnamese island. It seems that I posted this before, but I'll be darned if I can find it on my site. Oh, well.

Dao Bach Long Vi is a potential Marine Protected Area. For now, it is home to a lighthouse and a very small population of fishermen.

Dao Bach Long Vi - Marplot Map (1:17,500) - A Fancy Map

Yes siree, this is a fancy map. I took my original map, less lat/lon and scale box, and worked it over in my free paint program, ImageForge. I am still experimenting with fonts and text (credits and such), but the overall composition looks good. It took an extra two-hours to complete this project, but it is well worth it.

View Dao Bach Long Vi on Google Maps

Enjoy!

Labels: EVS, ImageForge, Landsat, map, Marplot, South China Sea, Vietnam

Posted by Mr Minton at 7/09/2007 11:42:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Nikumaroro Atoll - Marplot Map (1:30,000)

This is my third time posting this. I received an e-mail from a representative of TIGHAR, a group that has visited this atoll searching for clues to the whereabouts of Amelia Earhart. He asked that I post the following information to discourage visits to the island. The only way one is allowed to visit is with permission of Kiribatian authorities. Read on.

"The best landing place, marked by a white pyramidal concrete structure, is about 0.3 mile S of the village. A boat channel has been cut through the reef in a 054˚ direction and in line with the concrete beacon. Landing should be attempted just after HW when there is less surf than on a rising tide. With a SE wind, landing can be effected in the lee of the wreck at any stage of the tide."

(Sailing Directions Pub-126)

Comment from Pat Thrasher at TIGHAR: The beacon is long gone. It was cleaned off by a storm in 1990 or so. The wreck is gone except for the shell of the triple expansion steam engine. No lee.

BUT. It is completely, utterly ILLEGAL for anyone to land there at all. It is a protected area, bird sanctuary, and about to become a World Heritage Site. No fishing, no landing, no nothing, except as sanctioned by the government of the Republic of Kiribati. We have permission and will have a Customs officer with us. No equipment may be landed without strict adherence to environmental concerns about introduction of insects, bacteria, molds, etc.

Nikumaroro is a sensitive archeological and cultural site. I hope you will discourage landings rather than promoting them with information about when and where to make them!

Nikumaroro Atoll KR

Nikumaroro Atoll (Gardner Island) (4˚40'S., 174˚31'W.) is a wooded, wedge-shaped atoll lying about 137 miles W of Orona Atoll (Hull Island). The atoll is surrounded by a fringing reef, which dries at LW, extending about 0.2 mile offshore. The NW and SE extremities of the reef appears to be extending. Depths off the atoll, which is steep-to except at its NW and SE extremities, average 366m, 0.3 mile from the reef. Nikumaroro Atoll (Gardner Island) encloses a lagoon into which there is no navigable passage. With the exception of two breaks, a large one on the W side and a narrow one on the S side, the land rim of the atoll entirely surrounds the lagoon.

The lagoon is encumbered with coral heads, but seaplanes have landed successfully.

A conspicuous stranded wreck lies close W of the N extremity of the atoll. The wreck was reportedly breaking up.

Tides—Currents.—Off the atoll the set is W, and varies in direction and strength with the prevailing wind. Close inshore, the current follows the trend of the land to the W. There is a deserted village on the W side of the atoll, about 1 mile S of the N extremity, off which anchorage may be obtained by small vessels, very close inshore. Two small beacons N of the village indicate the approach.

Directions.—The best landing place, marked by a white pyramidal concrete structure, is about 0.3 mile S of the village. A boat channel has been cut through the reef in a 054˚ direction and in line with the concrete beacon. Landing should be attempted just after HW when there is less surf than on a rising tide. With a SE wind, landing can be effected in the lee of the wreck at any stage of the tide. The reef is extremely slippery and wide, and the landing is not recommended if any equipment is to be landed or brought off. (SD Pub-126)

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This is a redo of a previous post dated 2/25/2006. I wanted to bring in my current colors and include the standard images and maps (1:200,000, 1:100,000, 1:50,000 and 1:25,000). In addition, I wanted to show the Ikonos image that was used to help in digitizing the vectors that makeup this map.

If you have difficulties reading the Flash presentation, go directly to my Flickr account and check out the set of images with the same name as the title of this post.

Enjoy!

Labels: Amelia Earhart, atoll, EVS, Gardner, Ikonos, island, Kiribati, Landsat, map, Marplot, Pacific

Posted by Mr Minton at 7/02/2007 09:55:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Oeno Atoll Was My First

Aah, yes! I remember my first time, like it was yesterday. I spent the evening searching for the right one and it appeared. Different shades of blue and cute little palm trees scattered about - a map of Oeno Atoll. This was before my purchase of Global Mapper and discovery of FREE Landsat mosaics. I was reminded of this first encounter - a map created by someone other than a professional cartographer. It was a map that looked good and was cartographically decent - my aspiration to create maps of islands crystallized that day. If Jean Pierre could do it, Mr Minton sure could. The rest is history - lots of EVS island maps later, loads of Thoughts, tons of Data, educational How To's and interesting Comparisons. And I'm still fired up, looking forward to summer vaction and making maps of interesting islands.

I can't help but think that my maps have been "the first" for many of my viewer. I'm hopeful that when they view that obscure island that they've Google searched and up pops EVS-Islands with not only a map or series of maps but also satellite imagery of the island as well - I hope they say "Wow! That's cool!" And after they study my maps for awhile that they get inspired to create their own unique library of maps to share with the world.

Enjoy!

Labels: EVS, Global Mapper, island, Jean Pierre Langer, Landsat, map, Oeno Atoll

Posted by Mr Minton at 6/06/2007 08:39:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Caspian Sea - Marplot Map with Isobats (1:65-km)

The last couple of evenings I converted Caspian Sea isolines into isopolygons. Each color of blue represents another depth. The deepest point within the Caspian Sea is in the southern portion at over -900 meters. Just to the north of that depth is a stretch of sea floor from Baku, AZ to the Turkmenistan shore that is loaded with oil. It is an area that has been worked extensively and continues to be explored and exploited.

Caspian Sea - Marplot Map with Isobats Detail Middle (1:16.25-km)

Caspian Sea - Marplot Map with Isobats Detail North (1:32.5-km)

The northern Caspian Sea is another area of extraordinary oil deposits. It is very shallow (5-meter or less). The problem with the oil throughout the Caspian is getting it shipped to market. The oil currently flows through pipelines into Russia and another newer pipeline that will transport the oil into Turkey. The Caspian Sea has lots of oil, but it is difficult getting the oil into western markets.

The biggest challenge with this project was determining the colors to use within the various isopolygons. I believe the colors you see here provide a solid presentation. However, Marplot is rather weak on labels.

Caspian Sea - Marplot Map with Isobats Detail North with Labels (1:16.25-km)

For the most part, the labels show up and are readable, but quite often they get swallowed by a layer of information. I could apply labels as a separate layer of information. I would do that if this map were a commercial product, but since it is my product for my enjoyment, I'll leave the labels as they are.

view the Caspian Sea on Google Maps

Enjoy!

Labels: bathymetry, Caspian Sea Environment, Global Mapper, isobats, map

Posted by Mr Minton at 4/23/2007 10:06:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Rapa Iti Island - ISS Image ISS004-E-12979

Rapa Iti Island - Marplot Map with 50-m Contour Intervals (1:60,000)

Finally, I'm going to put this project to rest. My first post about this island happened back in July 2006. I was new to mapping contours and did not attempt it with this project. In March 2007 I commented on voids that occur within SRTM data. The voids contain no data and consequently, no contours are generated for these area. The above Marplot map contains 50-meter contour intervals for the entire island. The SRTM data I used (SRTM_08_18.asc) comes from CGAIR. It is reworked SRTM data with voids filled, whenever possible.

Rapa Iti Island - Shuttle Image with 50-meter Contour Intervals (1-15,000)

Rapa Iti Island - Marplot Map with 50-meter Contour Intervals (1-15,000)

The above two images show how accurate these contours are. I wouldn't want to build a house based on them, but I would hike around and over the island using them.

Rapa Iti Island - Marplot Map with Ha'urei Harbor Detail (1-30,000)

This final map shows the fine harbor and anchorage on this island. The community is called Ha'urei. It is home to the 126-voice Tahitian Choir. There is an NRP segment that plays some of the music and talks with the musicologist about his recordings. Wikipedia has alittle information about the island as well. My original post of July 2006 has a good deal of information about this island.

view Rapa Iti Island on Google Maps

Enjoy!

Labels: Australs, Bass Islands, EVS, Global Mapper, island, Landsat, map, Marplot, Shuttle Image

Posted by Mr Minton at 4/23/2007 12:17:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Egmont Islands BP

This is going to be my last project for awhile. I need a break for a few weeks from the demands of creating unique maps, researching and posting information about my projects. I have been spending way too much time with my PC and not enough time with the people I love.

Enough said.

Now about Egmont Islands. I feel this map is exquisite. It marks the first time I've mapped coral heads. They were a challenge to digitize and map, but ultimately they turned out nice. The vegetation layers were approximately mapped. All of the different layers of this map were well done. This map is useful at scales as large as 1:12,500 to 1:6,250.

Just a brief note on the recent history of this group of islands. They are part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). The most well-known island within the BIOT is Diego Garcia. Egmont Islands, located 60-kms from Diego Garcia, at one time had a population of 60-people. Today, the Egmont Islands are uninhabited. There is a remnant coconut plantation on the three larger islands. Eventually, it is hoped that the islands will revert back to their natural state. That is one of the alleged reasons the indigenous population was removed from all of the islands in BIOT. A judge in England has since ruled that the forced removal was illegal and if the original inhabitants want to return to their island homes, they can. However, when they try to return, they are turned away by the major leasee operating out of Diego Carcia - the United States military.

I am not sure there is a mutually agreeable solution. The US military will keep unwanted inhabitants away from these islands as long as they deem it necessary. In the meantime, these pristine islands are gradually reverting back to their natural state. Good for them, bad for the Chagossians.

view Egmont Islands on Google Maps

Enjoy!

Labels: atoll, BIOT, Digital Globe, Indian Ocean, Landsat, map

Posted by Mr Minton at 4/18/2007 11:15:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Nghi Islands VN - Outlying Islands

This is the rest of the islands. I posted Nghi Son Island previously. Nine smaller islands make up the balance of these islands. The outlying islands have little information posted about them on the Internet. Needless to say, due to heavy development within the area, these islands will be affected. Whether that effect will be negative or positive, only time will tell. Time and the Vietnamese government..

Nghi Son Island and Coast

Nghi Son Island, the main island of the group, is the large island just off shore. This island will become an integral part of both the existing cement factory and the oil refinery scheduled to be built in 2008.

view Nghi Son Islands on Google Maps

Enjoy!

Labels: EVS, island, Landsat, map, Marplot, Vietnam

Posted by Mr Minton at 4/12/2007 08:42:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Green Islands PP - Overview

The coral atolls, called Green Islands, is frequently referred to as Nissan because Nissan Island represents 90 per cent of the land area. Nissan is an elliptically shaped ribbon of land, less than a mile in width, surrounding a lagoon about eight miles long and three miles wide. The open sea enters the lagoon through three small gaps in the ellipse of land, thus making the two small islands of Sirot and Barahun at the north-west of Nissan. The main channel, which is between Nissan and Barahun, is only 15 feet deep, so that although the lagoon is deep, only shallow draft vessels may enter. There are no high hills and no watercourses on these islands, but the jungle is thick and substantial areas are covered by coconut plantations. (Extracted from "Landing on Nissan Island", NZTEC).

The article goes on to describe a hard-fought battle for this strategically important island group. It turns out that "Lucky" Lindy flew missions from this island as well as Emirau Island.

Green Islands PP - Nissan Island

The main island in the group is Nissan Island. It was the site of a Japanese base during WW-II. The base had an airfield and a docking area for seaplanes and barges. It was important to capture this island to disrupt the Japanese supply lines to their outer bases.

I read a recent report about Nissan Island and it stated that there are inhabitants on the island. They make their living off of fishing and copra. This individual was taken to sites on the island and shown unexploded ordinance. I think they need my vector maps to plot those potentially deadly bombs so that they can be initially located, relocated and removed.

Green Islands PP - Pinipel Island

I almost didn't map this island. I was busy with Nissan Island and thought that I might revisit Pinipel Island later. Well, later turned out to be sooner. Pinipel Island is mapped for your viewing pleasure.

Green Islands PP - 1:250,000 Mapping

My last comments concern the series of maps, New Guinea AMS Topographic Mapping, held by Perry-Castaneda Map Library, U of Texas, specifically, the map that covers the Green Islands. The map is titled Cape St George, New Ireland SB 56-3. What interests me the most is the source material for this map. The bulk of the land features are based on 1940's aerial photography. The nautical data (depths, harbors, reefs, and shorelines) is based on 1876-1912 small scale hydrographic charts. Now that is some old stuff. Much of the world's mapping is still based on these kinds of out-dated sources. I realize that Papua New Guinea most likely has some very recent mapping covering it's territory. However, I would be willing to bet that much of the mapping covering it's holdings is still based on these antiquated sources.

We have the base imagery and technology to make major mapping advances, but we seem content to rely on old source material (DCW and AMS) and say "It's good enough." I say - EVS precision is needed on a global scale. Let's get busy!

view Green Islands on Google Maps

Enjoy!

Labels: Charles Lindbergh, EVS, Global Mapper, island, Landsat, map, Marplot, New Zealand, Pacific, Papua

Posted by Mr Minton at 4/11/2007 09:43:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Pukaruha Atoll FP

Pukaruha Atoll is off the beaten path. It lies at the eastern limits of the Tuamotus. At the northern end of the main motu is a village. An airstrip is located in the middle of the main motu.

Now for the real scoop. Artistically this is my best map and most detailed. It is constructed of close to 1,000 unique polygons making up the various layers of infornmation. I used Digital Globe imagery found in Google Earth to construct this map. The imagery is 1-meter resolution and I mapped the hell out of it! The project took about 20 hours.

Frequent visitors know that I primarily work off of Landsat ETM+ 2000 mosaic imagery. This island and it's neighbor are not covered in the available Landsat imagery. I am sure that it was a fluke that this mosaic was not made available to the public. However, I wanted to map it. So I checked out the imagery on Google Earth and found this Digital Globe base imagery.

The resulting map work is exquisite. My work on the lagoon's reef is a work of art and it is accurate.

For those of you that just want to see my latest project, this is it.

For those of you that appreciate a gorgeous map, this is it as well.

view Pukaruha Atoll on Google Maps

Enjoy!

Labels: atoll, EVS, Global Mapper, island, Landsat, map, Marplot, Pacific, Polynesia, Tuamotus

Posted by Mr Minton at 4/06/2007 06:10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Eiao Island - Landsat ETM+ and Digital Globe Hi-Res

From Landsat (left panel) to Digital Globe Hi-Res (right panel).

Eiao Island - Marplot Map Original and Improved

From EVS precision shoreline extracted from a cloud-obscured Landsat ETM+ image to EVS precision shoreline extracted from a cloud-free Digital Globe Hi-Res image.

HAPPY ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

EVS-ISLANDS

At 1415 April 2, 2007 my blogsite became one year old. It consists of 296 posts covering a wide variety of topics, most providing details of islands scattered throughout the world.

My mapping skills have improved. I began mapping shorelines only. Yet, I quickly moved to including more and more details. Now, my maps contain upwards of 16-layers of information.

Anytime I mapped a high island, elevation contours were beyond my expertise. Now, using SRTM elevation data and Global Mapper contour-creation module, my maps include elevation contours.

My visitors keep coming back, just under 20,000 this first year. They come from GIS and "arm-chair-traveller" backgrounds. They come from the energy, education, environmental, governmental and private sectors of society. They live in over 152 countries. And they view 100+ pages a day. They seldom criticize and often encourage. Occassionally, they ask to use my data and I always say, "Yes.".

I look forward to another year filled with many more discoveries.

Thanks for your support!

view Eiao Island on Google Maps

Enjoy!

Labels: Digital Globe, EVS, Global Mapper, island, Landsat, map, SRTM

Posted by Mr Minton at 4/03/2007 06:31:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Gukan Jima JA

Battleship Island - What an interesting name! Gukan Jima or Gunkan Jima is a very small island offshore of Nagasaki city located on the island of Kyushu, Japan. I have mapped other very small islands Sveti Anastasia, Bulgaria and Penon Alhucemas, Spain for example. This one is unique and currently without any population. It seems that Gukan JIma, real name Ha-shima, was originally a reef that happened to be located over rich coal deposits. In 1810 the mines were opened and the reef was gradually built up to support a permanent population. Eventually over 5,000 people lived on this very small piece of manufactured land. That is, up until the 1970s. Like all mining operations eventually do, the coal became unprofitable to mine, the mining operation was shut down and everybody moved back to the mainland. All that is left today is the abandoned buildings and household goods people left behind. Visitors to the island describe it as a ghost town. If you wish to visit this interesting place, you must first secure permission from local authorities. There are a number of sites that discuss the island and it's current sad state of affairs. Just Google Gukan Jima or Gunkan Jima and you will find a number of interesting links. But if you want a map of the island, well, you are at the right place.

view Gukan Jima on Google Maps

Enjoy!

Labels: Digital Earth Tech, EVS, island, Japan, map, Marplot, Pacific

Posted by Mr Minton at 3/28/2007 06:44:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Pulau Romang Island Group

I've been working on this group of islands for the past few weeks. All of the layers of information are digitized. This week I will bring the digitized files into Marplot and construct my map. After the map is complete, I will create contours. Finally, I will publish the completed images.

Improved Rapa Island Shoreline and Contours

This project is also in the final stages. I discovered Digital Globe hi-res imagery on Google Earth covering most of the island. The improved shoreline is complete. I will create as many additional layers of information as the imagery will allow. The western portion of the island is cloud covered. DG does have a cloud-free image. Maybe they will let me use it? Unfortunately the SRTM data covering the island has large voids that I will have to extrapelate the course of the contours. I will need to find a reasonable topo of the island (fat chance!) or do my best guess-timation of the missing contours. It should be a challenge.

Cabrits NP Dominica Island

This is part of a viewer's senior project. You all know that I do work for free. If it is non-commercial, within my abilities and the time-frame is mutually agreeable, I'll create an EVS precision project for you to use. It turned out this area has Digital Globe imagery to work from. Consequently, the land use layers were detailed and complex. The SRTM data had a void that I had to guess-timate the contours. For the purposes of this student's project. the time constraints and the fact that I was working in uncharted areas of expertise, the guess-timate method was sufficent. I worked on this project off and on for over two weeks and am pleased with my efforts.

Other projects being worked on are Lindesfarne Island, UK and The Three Maria's located off the western coast of Mexico.

So many projects and not enough time.

Enjoy!

Labels: Digital Globe, digitize, EVS, Global Mapper, Google Earth, map, Marplot, SRTM

Posted by Mr Minton at 3/19/2007 06:06:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post