Phase One data rescue of the Austin Post air photo collection and new repeat aerial photography of Alaskan valley glaciers

University Of Alaska Fairbanks Campus, Fairbanks AK

Investigators

Abstract

The Austin Post aerial photo collection (dating from 1960-1995) contains over 100,000 images of North American valley glaciers. There is no other comprehensive photographic archive documenting the state of glaciers in western North America from 1960-1995 and the community no longer has access to these photos, because they exist largely in roll-film negative form at an archive center with no capability for scanning or printing them; this also poses a long-term archival risk. This proposal has one overarching goal; rescue the Austin Post aerial photo collection. This consists of high resolution photogrammetric scanning of approximately 30% of the roll-film, metadata generation, flight-line reconstruction, photo geolocation, and digital archival at both national archive centers and consumer photo sharing sites. The digital forms of these photos will be archived at several sites and there is also a great potential for a wide and spectacular dissemination and broader impact, simply by the planned distribution of selected pictures and what scientific message they may be conveying in an unusual visual clear and convincing way to the broad public, including decision-makers.