Image Analysis and Mapping Services

Archer Geographic maintains leading edge expertise in interpreting and analyzing satellite and aerial imagery for a diversity of applications and clients. Complimenting this expertise is a core capability in GIS modeling, analysis, and mapping.

Analysis of Satellite Imagery

Archer Geographic analysts are skilled and experienced in image interpretation for a diverse array of applications. Professional photo interpretation is often central in identifying objects or conditions shown in satellite or aerial imagery within the scope of a project or a specific application. Applications include image evidence for legal actions, real estate/site evaluations, environmental impact assessments, land/development surveys, disaster assessments, studying land use or growth patterns, security issues, and media/news events. 

Photo interpretation is also used along with semi-automated digital techniques for performing  classifications on remotely sensed image data. Classification techniques are useful in mapping land cover, including urban area land uses, forest types, agricultural crops or soil types, and rock and mineral types in geological studies. Archer Geographic analysts have also extended classification techniques to coastal and limnology studies, including water quality, bottom types, bathymetry, and wetlands mapping.

In addition to photo interpretation and image classification techniques, Archer Geographic analysts utilize a variety of approaches for change detection. Geometrically registered images from two or more dates can be compared by a skilled analyst to document or map areas of change. Semi-automated digital techniques can also be effective in change detection. The detection and mapping of change in imagery is of critical importance in many applications, including the monitoring of environmental impacts, urban growth mapping - including zoning issues and tax assessments, mapping habitat or wetland loss, and before and after imagery surrounding an event, often important in providing key legal evidence in court.

GIS and Mapping Services

Archer Geographic also offers expertise and support in the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Aerial or satellite imagery is often a critical data source for GIS. In addition to base mapping, remotely sensed imagery can be used to extract features of interest into separate map layers for use in a GIS. Feature extraction from imagery has included land use, transportation corridors and networks, building/facility footprints or other infrastructure, vegetation, crop, or forest types, and water bodies/hydrological features. 

Such map layers can be combined with other geographic data within a GIS, such as property boundaries, statistics, demographic information, ground observations, and corporate data. Once image and other data has been input into a GIS, many analyses can be performed, ranging from simple measurements of distances and areas to very sophisticated modeling and visualization.