Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
via a subscription service for users called PRESTIGE (
http://www.purdue
. tera-
grid.org/prestige). Archival satellite image data for Indiana, including the Landsat
Thematic Mapper (TM) and Multispectral Scanner (MSS) data, ASTER, EO1
Hyperion and ALI, as well as some declassified Corona data, are distributed via
a portal developed by the IndianaView program (
http://www.indianaview.org
/glo-
vis/). Moreover, this portal contains a link to the digital orthographic images
that have been collected for Indiana in the last 10 years. These data are made
available over the Indiana Spatial Data Portal, managed by Indiana University.
Users can also obtain image data by means of a portal developed under the aus-
pices of the National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored TeraGrid program
(
http://www.purdue.teragrid.org/portal
/). This portal contains the basics to allow
a user to search for data sets, but does not include a graphical clue to indicate
where the data originates. The portal does include access to the NEXRAD (Next
Generation Radar) data that are collected by all National Weather Service (NWS)
Doppler stations throughout the United States. Image data sets are available in a het-
erogeneous manner; the work involved in doing this is divided across many different
portals operated by diverse governmental and university institutions. A key element
is to provide cross-links and obvious help cues and messages, so as to guide the user
to the appropriate data and data products for each specific task.
IndianaView is a consortium of ten universities and four non-profit agencies
engaged in remote sensing research, instruction and services within Indiana and
is a component of AmericaView (AV), a non-profit corporation. AV is a nationwide
program that focuses on satellite and aerial remote sensing data and technologies, in
support of applied research, K-16 education, workforce development, and technol-
ogy transfer. AV was developed through a partnership between the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS). The AmericaView Program is the outgrowth of a research and edu-
cation pilot project initiated in the State of Ohio by the USGS in 1998. The objective
of OhioView was to create a prototype system for high-speed processing and
rapid delivery of remotely sensed data to state and local users. The AmericaView
Consortium is comprised of university-led, state-based consortia working together
to build a nationwide network of state and local users. The Consortium is actively
working with the USGS and universities across the country to expand participation
in the AV Program to all 50 states; currently there are 36 state-view programs. Each
state-view makes image data available from their state freely available to all.
For many local, city and county agencies, the digital orthographic image data
that many states have now been able to collect becomes very important for sat-
isfying spatial needs. These data usually represent spatial resolutions of .15 m
(6 inches) to 1 m. This becomes crucial for identifying utilities, buildings, trans-
portation infrastructure, streams, rivers, etc. These data sources provide a very visual
presentation when overlaid with other demographic data in Geographic Information
Systems (GIS). The Information Technology (IT) infrastructure has grown in recent
years to be much faster, easier to network with other users and application develop-
ers, more affordable and able to handle the terabytes of data that are now available.
The orthographic image data that were collected for the entire state of Indiana in
2005 represents over 10 terabytes of data that are easily accessible from the Indiana
University Spatial Data Portal.
