USGS Center for Earth Observation &
Science (EROS) Analog Archive
Preservation Efforts
PV 2005
The Royal Society, Edinburgh
November 21, 2005
Timothy B. Smith
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC*)
Contractor to the USGS/EROS
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
* Work performed under U.S. Geological Survey contract 03CRCN0001
USGS/EROS Vision & Mission Statement
• To be the world’s leading source of land
information for exploring our changing planet
• To promote and conduct land science applications
• To ensure data access to land information
• To safeguard the national archive of remotely
sensed land data
Background
• The USGS is a bureau of the U.S Dept. of Interior (DOI)
• USGS/EROS is a research field center and long-term
archive for DOI & it’s partners (NASA, NOAA, EPA,
DOD, USAID, UNEP GRID)
• The USGS/EROS Archive includes over 2.8 petabytes of
digital data and over 8.6 million frames of analog film
(39,000 square feet of archive conditioned space)
• USGS/EROS and its 630 employees are host to the
National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive
(NSLRSDA), the NASA Land Processing DAAC, the
World Data Centers for Remotely Sensed and Land Cover
Data, and is in the process of becoming a National Archive
& Records Administration (NARA) Affiliate Archive
The USGS Film Holdings
• U.S. Dept. of Interior = 33,700 rolls
• Dept. of Defense =
11,700 rolls
• NASA Collections =
14,100 rolls
===========================
59,500 rolls of film (8.6 million images)
and over 70,000 photo indexes
USGS Archive of the 21st Century
• Significantly improve access to the USGS Film
Archive and Film Collections from other participating
Agencies and Bureaus
• Fully transition to a digital product delivery system
• Assure long-term preservation of USGS photography
and photographic collections entrusted to EROS
Photo Product Evolution
• Customer demand for film based products trending downward and
the costs to produce film/paper products exceeded income
(production peaked over 350,000 in 2000; down to 60,000 in 2004)
• Market pressures; the photo industry is moving to digital; some of
the raw stock are no longer being manufactured
• Not all of the USGS film collections are accessible; Only single
frame metadata references were searchable in Earth Explorer
which represents 33% of the EROS archive
• Over 19,500 film rolls have the vinegar syndrome problem;
including over 310,000 frames of Scientific Committee on Antarctic
Research (SCAR) photography
Historical Film Access Methods
8.6 Millon Frames
33%
67%
2.8 million
5.8 million
Aerial Film
Archive
Single frame
Block
Photo Index
Single Frame
Terminology
• Digitize
– Digitized browse quality image files.
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14.4 mega pixel digital cameras
JPG, B/W=148 KB, color=400 KB, 72 dpi
Browse downloadable at no cost to customers
Medium-resolution digitized image files
By-product of creating the digital browse
Non-photogrammetric quality, 600 dpi
TIFF output format, B/W=13 MB, color=38 MB
Minimal photo editing (format, crop, adjust polarity, add USGS vis/ID)
Stored near-line on a Silo for ready access to serve customer orders
• Scan
– High-resolution scanned image files.
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Output of Zeiss and Leica photogrammetric scanners
Standard spot size is 21micron (1200 dpi). Options to 7 (3600 dpi)
TIFF output format, B/W=120 MB, color 360 MB
On-demand products (scans are not routinely archived)
Digital Capture Systems
High-resolution Photogrammetric
Quality System
(customer product)
Phoenix IV Medium-resolution
Digitization System
(archive/access conversion)
Historical Film Digitization Plan
• 5 yr plan to digitize archive film.
– Create full frame browse to improve film archive access.
– Store medium-resolution images created during the process.
– Digitize all photo indexes & line plots (over 72,000)
• Systems development progressing.
– Four systems are operational; two shifts/day.
– 5th system online by January 2006.
• Archive Digitization Ops.
– Digitizing 60-65 rolls/day.
– Priority scheme:
• Primary drivers: “One time” U.S. coverage, Vinegar Syndrome
Rolls, USGS collections, Science & Customer Interests.
Historical Change Pair Examples
(can you name this island in Pennsylvania?)
Or this agricultural area in Colorado?
Or this mountain in Washington?
Old Photos = New Work
Digital Data Distribution
• Providing on-demand high-resolution scanned products
from the historical film archive
– $24 / per frame scanning fee plus media charges: $30/file FTP, and file
stacking on CD ($45) and DVD ($60)
• Providing near-line access to the medium-resolution
digitized files as they become available.
– $1/ per file plus media charges ($30/file FTP, and file stacking on
$45/CD and $60/DVD)
• Archiving major project scans when 7 micron products
are requested (e.g.: Declassified Satellite imagery).
Summary
• Over 1.7 million frames were digitized and over 100,000 single
frame records were created from photo indexes in 2005
• In the same period EROS created over 18,000 high resolution
scan products for the science community & general public
• On-line browse simplifies archive access and promotes
increased interest in the USGS/EROS film archive
• Digitizing film rolls uncover many images that were not
previously accessible (initial use vs. reuse)
• The comparatively small file size of medium-resolution images
permit customers easy access and opportunities to perform
value added processing with satellite imagery
• The new approach enhances archive value as additional browse
imagery, digitized medium resolution, and high resolution
scanned products permit open access to the USGS film archive
and USGS partner collections to support the ever changing
needs of the science community and the general public