GPS World

Tag: mapping service

  • Emergency satellite mapping of Turkiye and Syria activated

    Emergency satellite mapping of Turkiye and Syria activated

    On Feb. 6, the United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT) announced via Twitter that it had activated emergency mapping services of Turkiye and northern Syria after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit earlier that day. The satellite images provide an overview of the damage, which can be used for humanitarian efforts and disaster relief, reported Space.com.

    UNOSAT provides emergency mapping services, upon request, to provide satellite imagery analysis during emergencies and disasters. The maps show infrastructure that has been damaged during an emergency, which can then be used to provide relief by disaster response groups.

    The impact of the earthquakes was significant and ranks in the red for economic losses and orange for fatalities, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). (Image: UNOSAT)
    The impact of the earthquakes was significant and ranks in the red for economic losses and orange for fatalities, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). (Image: UNOSAT)

    The earthquake caused massive destruction throughout Turkiye and Northern Syria, causing an estimated death toll of more than 19,000 as of Feb. 9. Several historical structures dating back thousands of years have also been severely damaged.

    UNOSAT started in 2001 and is hosted by the European Organization for Nuclear Research. It does not operate its own satellites, but coordinates with United Nations member states to gather imagery from government agencies and privately owned satellites. United Nations offices, government agencies and relief organizations can request access to imagery collected by UNOSAT.

    The USGS reports the earthquake resulted from strike-slip faulting at shallow depths. It appears to be associated with either the East Anatolia fault zone or the Dead Sea transform fault zone. (Image: UNOSAT)
    The USGS reports the earthquake resulted from strike-slip faulting at shallow depths. It appears to be associated with either the East Anatolia fault zone or the Dead Sea transform fault zone. (Image: UNOSAT)

    All maps of Turkey and northern Syria from UNOSAT can be found here. A live interactive map can be found here.

  • Bluesky debuts MetroVista city mapping service for Europe at Intergeo 2019

    Bluesky debuts MetroVista city mapping service for Europe at Intergeo 2019

    The Bluesky MetroVista range includes high-resolution imagery combined with high-accuracy, wide-scale 3D models. (Image: Bluesky)
    The Bluesky MetroVista range includes high-resolution imagery combined with high-accuracy, wide-scale 3D models. (Image: Bluesky)

    Bluesky International has launched its international MetroVista city mapping service for Europe at Intergeo 2019, which took place Sept. 17-19 in Stuttgart, Germany.

    The mapping service incorporates the Leica CityMapper hybrid airborne sensor, which can simultaneously capture vertical and oblique aerial photography, as well as lidar.

    According to the company, the Bluesky MetroVista range includes high-resolution imagery combined with high-accuracy, wide-scale 3D models. Bluesky’s CityMapper also has already been used to capture MetroVista data for cities across the United Kingdom, including London, Manchester, Newcastle and Bristol.

    Bluesky’s CityMapper, used to produce the MetroVista data, includes a traditional vertical camera, as well as survey-grade oblique cameras. The sensor, designed for 3D city modeling and urban mapping, incorporates lidar technology to accurately collect elevation and infrared data.

    “Here at Intergeo, we’re showing our MetroVista data sets, which are the city meshes,” Ralph Coleman, sales director at Bluesky, told GPS World. The city meshes are extremely dense, they’re very feature-rich, and they’re vey accurate. They provide a vast range of detail for a massive range of applications.”

    Bluesky is a United Kingdom-based aerial survey and geographic data company that produces and maintains digital aerial photography and height data. The company has offices in the United Kingdom, United States and the Republic of Ireland, as well as a production center in India.