WMRS Photographic and GIS Resources
 

note this site is in an early draft stage - be patient - it will improve!

GIS resources

WMRS researchers have access to ArcGIS 9.2 software through the UCSD site license. They have easy access to a variety of geospatial data pertaining to the Eastern Sierra stored on site. These data include:

2005 NAIP imagery
Spot satellite imagery
USGS DOQs
USGS DEMs
Seamless 7.5’ USGS topographic maps
Geology maps of portions of the White and Inyo Mountains
Point, line, and polygon layers depicting transportation, political, management, and other features on BLM, Inyo National Forest, and LADWP land holdings

Photographic resources

Chester B. Beaty Photo Collection (1956-1968)

WMRS Legacy Air Photo GIS project We have scanned numerous air photos from 1947-1962 covering the White and Inyo Mountains, Owens Valley, and portions of the Sierra Nevada from north of Bishop south to around Independence. We are in the process of geo-referencing these photos and hope to ortho-recitfy them. These photos are a valuable resource for studies of vegetation and land use change.

Shrinkage of North Palisades glacier 1984-2006. Red line shows 1984 position of glacier, as determined by comparing rock features. Based on measurement of scale in 2007, shrinkage was determined to be approximately 60' vertical and 150' horizontal. In 1984 J. Smiley stood on the edge and measured the depth of the melt pond at >90'. Recent studies by researchers from Western Washington University (Nicole Bowerman and Doug Clark) have revealed that during the little ice age maximum (about 200 years ago), this glacier was much larger, extending nearly a mile downhill from the basin pond seen in the photo.'. (photos John Smiley)