USGS Earth Explorer

This dataset represents natural color, leaf-off, 1 foot high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC) in winter 2010/2011, and made public with the partnership of the US Geological Survey (USGS). The DEM represents bare earth, whereas a related product (DSM) contains elevations and includes buildings, [...]]]>

USGS Earth Explorer

This dataset represents natural color, leaf-off, 1 foot high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC) in winter 2010/2011, and made public with the partnership of the US Geological Survey (USGS).  The DEM represents bare earth, whereas a related product (DSM) contains elevations and includes buildings, vegetation, and roads, as well as natural terrain features, whereas .

This data was down-sampled from the 4-inch orthophotography created as part of LAR-IAC.  Detailed product information is contained in the LAR-IAC Product Guide.

To get this data, you can do one of the following:

Use either the National Map Viewer (nationalmap.gov/viewer) or the EarthExplorer (EarthExplorer.usgs.gov) sites to access this data.

If you have questions please contact the US Geological Survey Representative at the bottom of this page (Drew Decker).

About LAR-IAC

We highly recommend that you visit the LAR-IAC Project Website to find a rich source of information about the data and the LAR-IAC program.  The site includes project documents, full FGDC compliant metadata, data downloads of related GIS used to complete the project, sub-licensing information, sample imagery and data, and information about the 2006 acquisition.

National Map

The Los Angeles Region Imagery Acquisition Consortium (LAR-IAC) Program is a collaborative acquisition program for digital aerial imagery data which has included the participation of 10 County departments, 30 municipalities, and four other public agencies.

The consortium is a model for regional cooperation that improves the quality, access, and cost-effectiveness of high resolution digital aerial imagery. Knowledge transfer is increased through consortium program meetings, user groups, and various workshops that have been established in conjunction with the project. The imagery acquired will enable all participating jurisdictions to leverage this key geographic information asset for numerous decision support and business applications, thereby facilitating the effective and efficient delivery of services.

Each polygon contains a 8 digit number [...]]]> This dataset contains the dates of the imagery compiled into the 2011 Los Angeles Regional Imagery Acquisition Consortium 4-inch and 1-foot color orthophotography.  We are currently waiting for one final block to be added to this dataset (the National Forest north of Santa Clarita).

Each polygon contains a 8 digit number that corresponds to the date the image was acquired.  Over 350,000 individual image chips were merged to create a seamless orthophoto across the County of Los Angeles.  This dataset will enable participants and other entities to know  the date the image was acquired.

Processing History

This dataset was extracted from a larger polygon file (with 105,000 polygons) which contained the boundaries of the individual image chips that were merged into the final LAR-IAC product.  In order to reduce the size of the file, the boundaries were smoothed using the ArcMap generalize command to reduce the number of vertices, which reduces the file size while not dramatically impacting accuracy.

Samples

Download the data

• lariac3_dateflown.zip (22 Mb zipped shapefile that includes a layer file to help with symbology)
• LARIAC 3 Date Flown (2011).lyr (For County staff only – layer file that connects directly to the Enterprise GIS repository to show the data)

Some cool things you can find:

Link to their sensors: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/dmsp/sensors.html

The DMSP satellites “see” such environmental features as [...]]]> Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), low, earth-orbiting satellites have provided the military with important environmental information.

Some cool things you can find:

1. Nighttime lights of the world – - here’s a KMZ file I downloaded: DMSP_Nighttime_Lights.kmz
2. Visible and Infrared imagery

Link to their sensors: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/dmsp/sensors.html

The DMSP satellites “see” such environmental features as clouds, bodies of water, snow, fire, and pollution in the visual and infrared spectra. Scanning radiometers record information which can help determine cloud type and height, land and surface water temperatures, water currents, ocean surface features, ice, and snow. Communicated to ground-based terminals, the data is processed, interpreted by meteorologists, and ultimately used in planning and conducting U.S. military operations worldwide.

There are a number of open map services available here:  I haven’t been able to get them to work yet.

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/dmsp/maps.html

For other satellite feeds check this website: http://www.oso.noaa.gov/

It represents the initial imagery capture by the County of Los Angeles, which later become the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Acquisition Consortium (LAR-IAC).

Three imagery resolutions were captured:

Coverage Area (with Station Fire Perimeter)

On the morning of February 6th, 2010, the community of La Canada Flintridge saw a major debris flow on a number of streets [...]]]> This data is 6-inch color orthophotography flown the week of February 15th, 2010 to document the impact of debris flows February 6th, 2010.

Coverage Area (with Station Fire Perimeter)

On the morning of February 6th, 2010, the community of La Canada Flintridge saw a major debris flow on a number of streets on its northern edge.  This area had been on the southern edge of the Station fire in autumn 2009, and a heavy rainfall overnight caused a debris basin to overflow and neighboring houses to be impacted.

4-inch imagery (2008)

The County of Los Angeles through the Los Angeles Regional Aquisition Consortium (LAR-IAC), authorized the overflight of the southern boundary of the Station Fire in order to refresh existing imagery which would help the County and cities assess the impacts of the debris flow as well as analyze changes due to the station fire.

The capture was done by Aerial Express using a large-format camera and the County’s Elevation Model, which provides very good accuracy.  Note that the specifications were off the shelf, and some building lean and shifting may be apparent, as it does not meet the near-engineering grade accuracy of the LAR-IAC2 4-inch imagery captured in 2008.

6-inch imagery showing debris flow impact

Color Infrared, leaf-off, 0.33-foot (4-inch) high-resolution, high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC) in winter 2005/2006.

Infrared is an additional wavelength of information that can be captured by many aerial photography sensors in addition to the general Red/Green/Blue (RGB) channels typical to most imagery.  The [...]]]>  

Color Infrared, leaf-off, 0.33-foot (4-inch) high-resolution, high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC) in winter 2005/2006.

Infrared is an additional wavelength of information that can be captured by many aerial photography sensors in addition to the general Red/Green/Blue (RGB) channels typical to most imagery.  The Infrared band can be analyzed to easily separate vegetation from non-vegetated areas through image analysis, lending itself to find pervious vs. impervious surfaces, among other things.  The CIR from LAR-IAC has been used to extract the following information from the high-resolution imagery data:

• Buildings
• Trees
• NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegtation Index)

This imagery covers the majority of urban/suburban areas of the County in mainland (approximately 2,898 square miles) and Catalina Island covering approximately 75 square miles.  The rest of the County, covering the National Forest, is covered by a one foot (1-foot) resolution digital orthoimagery, approximately 1,056 square miles, and is a separate dataset.  Information about that data is available in another part of the portal.

This dataset meets or exceeds ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) 1:100 scale mapping.  Accuracy is within +/- 2 feet of true location with 95% confidence.

Detailed product information is contained in the LAR-IAC Product Guide.

We highly recommend that you visit the LAR-IAC Project Website to find a rich source of information about the data and the LAR-IAC program.  The site includes project documents, full FGDC compliant metadata, data downloads of related GIS used to complete the project, sub-licensing information, sample imagery and data, and information about the 2006 acquisition.

GIS Data showing flight-date information is available from the site, and elsewhere in the LA County GIS Data Portal.

Detail

The imagery is held under license from InfoTech International, and cannot be publicly released.  Government entities are eligible to join the LAR-IAC program to access the data.  Private entities may contact InfoTech directly to purchase selected parts of the data.

About LAR-IAC

The Los Angeles Region Imagery Acquisition Consortium (LAR-IAC) Program is a collaborative acquisition program for digital aerial imagery data which has included the participation of 10 County departments, 30 municipalities, and four other public agencies.

The consortium is a model for regional cooperation that improves the quality, access, and cost-effectiveness of high resolution digital aerial imagery. Knowledge transfer is increased through consortium program meetings, user groups, and various workshops that have been established in conjunction with the project. The imagery acquired will enable all participating jurisdictions to leverage this key geographic information asset for numerous decision support and business applications, thereby facilitating the effective and efficient delivery of services.

Countywide Coverage

Natural color, leaf-off, 1-foot high-resolution, high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC2) in early 2008.  This imagery covers  the National Forest areas of the County, approximately 1,056 square miles, and is a separate dataset.  The urban/suburban areas of the County in mainland (approximately 2,898 [...]]]>

Countywide Coverage

Natural color, leaf-off, 1-foot high-resolution, high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC2) in early 2008.  This imagery covers  the National Forest areas of the County, approximately 1,056 square miles, and is a separate dataset.  The urban/suburban areas of the County in mainland (approximately 2,898 square miles) and Santa Catalina Island are covered by a 4-inch dataset.    Information about the 4-inch data is available in another part of the Data Portal.

This dataset meets or exceeds ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) 1:200 scale mapping.  Accuracy is within +/- 2 feet of true location with 95% confidence.

Detailed product information is contained in the LAR-IAC2 Product Guide.

We highly recommend that you visit the LAR-IAC Project Website to find a rich source of information about the data and the LAR-IAC program.  The site includes project documents, full FGDC compliant metadata, data downloads of related GIS used to complete the project, sub-licensing information, sample imagery and data, and information about the 2006 acquisition.

GIS Data showing flight-date information is available from the site, and elsewhere in the LA County GIS Data Portal.

The imagery is held under license from Pictomtery International, and cannot be publicly released.  Government entities are eligible to join the LAR-IAC program to access the data.  Private entities may contact Pictometry directly to purchase selected parts of the data.

About LAR-IAC

The Los Angeles Region Imagery Acquisition Consortium (LAR-IAC) Program is a collaborative acquisition program for digital aerial imagery data which has included the participation of 10 County departments, 30 municipalities, and four other public agencies.

The consortium is a model for regional cooperation that improves the quality, access, and cost-effectiveness of high resolution digital aerial imagery. Knowledge transfer is increased through consortium program meetings, user groups, and various workshops that have been established in conjunction with the project. The imagery acquired will enable all participating jurisdictions to leverage this key geographic information asset for numerous decision support and business applications, thereby facilitating the effective and efficient delivery of services.

Coverage

Natural color, leaf-off, 1-foot high-resolution, high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC) in early 2006.  This imagery covers  the National Forest areas of the County, approximately 1,056 square miles, and is a separate dataset.  The urban/suburban areas of the County in mainland (approximately 2,898 square [...]]]>

Coverage

Natural color, leaf-off, 1-foot high-resolution, high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC) in early 2006.  This imagery covers  the National Forest areas of the County, approximately 1,056 square miles, and is a separate dataset.  The urban/suburban areas of the County in mainland (approximately 2,898 square miles) and Santa Catalina Island are covered by a 4-inch dataset.    Information about the 4-inch data is available in another part of the Data Portal.

This dataset meets or exceeds ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) 1:200 scale mapping.  Accuracy is within +/- 2 feet of true location with 95% confidence.

Detailed product information is contained in the LAR-IAC Product Guide.

We highly recommend that you visit the LAR-IAC Project Website to find a rich source of information about the data and the LAR-IAC program.  The site includes project documents, full FGDC compliant metadata, data downloads of related GIS used to complete the project, sub-licensing information, sample imagery and data, and information about the 2006 acquisition.

GIS Data showing flight-date information is available from the site, and elsewhere in the LA County GIS Data Portal.

The imagery is held under license from InfoTech International, and cannot be publicly released.  Government entities are eligible to join the LAR-IAC program to access the data.  Private entities may contact InfoTech directly to purchase selected parts of the data.

About LAR-IAC

The Los Angeles Region Imagery Acquisition Consortium (LAR-IAC) Program is a collaborative acquisition program for digital aerial imagery data which has included the participation of 10 County departments, 30 municipalities, and four other public agencies.

1-foot/4-inch comparison

The consortium is a model for regional cooperation that improves the quality, access, and cost-effectiveness of high resolution digital aerial imagery. Knowledge transfer is increased through consortium program meetings, user groups, and various workshops that have been established in conjunction with the project. The imagery acquired will enable all participating jurisdictions to leverage this key geographic information asset for numerous decision support and business applications, thereby facilitating the effective and efficient delivery of services.

Detail

Natural color, leaf-off, 0.33-foot (4-inch) high-resolution, high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC) in early 2006.  This imagery covers the majority of urban/suburban areas of the County in mainland (approximately 2,898 square miles) and Santa Catalina Island covering approximately 75 square miles.  The rest of [...]]]>

Detail

Natural color, leaf-off, 0.33-foot (4-inch) high-resolution, high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC) in early 2006.  This imagery covers the majority of urban/suburban areas of the County in mainland (approximately 2,898 square miles) and Santa Catalina Island covering approximately 75 square miles.  The rest of the County, covering the National Forest, is covered by a one foot (1-foot) resolution digital orthoimagery, approximately 1,056 square miles, and is a separate dataset.  Information about that data is available in another part of the Data Portal.

This dataset meets or exceeds ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) 1:100 scale mapping.  Accuracy is within +/- 2 feet of true location with 95% confidence.

Detailed product information is contained in the LAR-IAC Product Guide.

We highly recommend that you visit the LAR-IAC Project Website to find a rich source of information about the data and the LAR-IAC program.  The site includes project documents, full FGDC compliant metadata, data downloads of related GIS used to complete the project, sub-licensing information, sample imagery and data, and information about the 2006 acquisition.

GIS Data showing flight-date information is available from the site, and elsewhere in the LA County GIS Data Portal.

The imagery is held under license from InfoTech International, and cannot be publicly released.  Government entities are eligible to join the LAR-IAC program to access the data.  Private entities may contact InfoTech directly to purchase selected parts of the data.

About LAR-IAC

The Los Angeles Region Imagery Acquisition Consortium (LAR-IAC) Program is a collaborative acquisition program for digital aerial imagery data which has included the participation of 10 County departments, 30 municipalities, and four other public agencies.

The consortium is a model for regional cooperation that improves the quality, access, and cost-effectiveness of high resolution digital aerial imagery. Knowledge transfer is increased through consortium program meetings, user groups, and various workshops that have been established in conjunction with the project. The imagery acquired will enable all participating jurisdictions to leverage this key geographic information asset for numerous decision support and business applications, thereby facilitating the effective and efficient delivery of services.

Detail

Natural color, leaf-off, 0.33-foot (4-inch) high-resolution, high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC) in winter 2007/2008.  This imagery covers the majority of urban/suburban areas of the County in mainland (approximately 2,898 square miles) and Catalina Island covering approximately 75 square miles.  The rest of the [...]]]>

Detail

Natural color, leaf-off, 0.33-foot (4-inch) high-resolution, high-accuracy orthorectified aerial imagery, acquired by the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Consortium (LAR-IAC) in winter 2007/2008.  This imagery covers the majority of urban/suburban areas of the County in mainland (approximately 2,898 square miles) and Catalina Island covering approximately 75 square miles.  The rest of the County, covering the National Forest, is covered by a one foot (1-foot) resolution digital orthoimagery, approximately 1,056 square miles, and is a separate dataset.  Information about that data is available in another part of the portal..

This dataset meets or exceeds ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) 1:100 scale mapping.  Accuracy is within +/- 2 feet of true location with 95% confidence.

Detailed product information is contained in the LAR-IAC2 Product Guide.

We highly recommend that you visit the LAR-IAC Program Website to find a rich source of information about the data and the LAR-IAC program.  The site includes project documents, full FGDC compliant metadata, data downloads of related GIS used to complete the project, sub-licensing information, sample imagery and data, and information about the 2006 acquisition.

GIS Data showing flight-date information is available from the site, and elsewhere in the LA County GIS Data Portal.

The 4-inch imagery is held under license from Pictometry International, and cannot be publicly released.  Government entities are eligible to join the LAR-IAC program to access the data.  Private entities may contact Pictometry directly to purchase selected parts of the data.  A one-foot, resampled version of this file is available from the US Geological Survey as a public domain product.

About LAR-IAC

The Los Angeles Region Imagery Acquisition Consortium (LAR-IAC) Program is a collaborative acquisition program for digital aerial imagery data which has included the participation of 10 County departments, 30 municipalities, and four other public agencies.

The consortium is a model for regional cooperation that improves the quality, access, and cost-effectiveness of high resolution digital aerial imagery. Knowledge transfer is increased through consortium program meetings, user groups, and various workshops that have been established in conjunction with the project. The imagery acquired will enable all participating jurisdictions to leverage this key geographic information asset for numerous decision support and business applications, thereby facilitating the effective and efficient delivery of services.