NGA, NSF release 3-D elevation models of Alaska for White House Arctic initiative

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Science Foundation publicly released new 3-D topographic maps of Alaska September 1 in support of a White House Arctic initiative to inform better decision-making in the Arctic.

The 3-D digital elevation models, or DEMs, are the first to come from the ArcticDEM project, which was created after a January 2015 executive order calling for enhanced coordination of national efforts in the Arctic.

“To help Alaskans better plan for sustainable development, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the National Science Foundation are leading a public-private collaboration to create the first-ever publicly available, high-resolution, satellite-based elevation map of Alaska by next year and the entire Arctic by the year after that,” said President Barack Obama in his September 3, 2015 remarks at Kotzebue High School.

Models of the entire Arctic are scheduled for release in 2017.

The models are based on 2-meter resolution images captured by Digital Globe commercial satellites. This technology is significant in polar mapping because it allows for more thorough coverage of the Arctic than did traditional imagery collection by aircraft, which is limited in the inhospitable and remote polar region.

“The models will play an important role in informing policy and national security decisions,” said Robert Cardillo, NGA director. “They may also provide critical data and context for decisions related to climate resilience, land management, sustainable development, safe recreation and scientific research.”

The release of high-resolution elevation mapping marks a huge step forward in our ability to deal with the changing Arctic, said Ambassador Mark Brzezinski, executive director of the Arctic Executive Steering Committee at the White House.

“The Arctic region is experiencing some of the most rapid and profound changes in the world,” said Brzezinski. “These changes impact communities, as well as the ecosystems upon which they depend. Yet, much of Alaska and the Arctic lack even basic modern and reliable maps to help Arctic communities understand and manage these risks. The DEMs will address this gap.”

The project brings together a unique set of national assets, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, NGA, NSF, the Polar Geospatial Center at the University of Minnesota, University of Illinois, Ohio State University and Cornell University.

Teams from NGA and NSF worked with these partners to launch an unclassified, open Arctic portal where the DEMs and emerging information is available to the public. Esri, a geographic information system provider, hosts the site at nga.maps.arcgis.com. The public website hosts Webmaps, map viewers, other DEM exploratory tools, nautical charts, sailing directions and infographics, and a downloadable Pan-Arctic map with mission-specific data layers.

Source: NGA