Historical aerial photographs are being used by undergraduates at Nottingham Trent University to help them understand some of the essential facets of remote sensing technology. Images from the Bluesky archive are used to demonstrate the effects of topography
and other features on unprocessed aerial images and help students understand the process of orthorectification. Aerial photographs are also used for research activities, specifically the mapping and monitoring of land cover and erosion in areas of upland peat, and the identification and examination of sites of potential archaeological interest on the university campus.
“Bluesky has an extensive archive that is easily interrogated via an
online search engine,” commented Dr Ben Clutterbuck, Lecturer in GIS and Remote
Sensing Technologies at Nottingham Trent University. “As camera calibration
data are provided with images obtained from OldAerialPhotos, we can
demonstrate how orthorectification of the imagery removes distortion introduced
by the camera system and varied topography.”
“Imagery supplied by Bluesky also feeds into modules examining upland
geomorphological processes,” continued Dr Clutterbuck. “For example, from a
recent requisition of imagery we have been able to quantify the short-term
progression of a ‘bog burst’ – a mass movement of blanket peat often
initiated by a rapid intense rainfall event. By feeding current research into our
teaching activities we can keep module content fresh, up to date and
therefore interesting.”
The imagery supplied by Bluesky to Nottingham Trent University forms part
of an historically important archive that includes some of the earliest
commercial aerial survey images, military photography from World War II and
many national archives. Offering a record of most major UK cities and towns,
transport and utility infrastructure and commercial property developments,
the images are an invaluable resource for anyone with a personal or
professional interest in local studies, genealogy, boundary disputes,
environmental land use research or town planning.
Visitors to www.oldaerialphotos.com can search through more than a million
aerial photos dating back as far as 1917 by simply entering a postcode,
address or grid reference. Detailed search results, including the age and
ground coverage, of every image that matches the search criteria are displayed
and the visitor can choose to purchase a hard copy print, digital image
file or money saving photopack.
