Aerial surveys track Iceland’s rapid transformation

Mbl.is reports that human construction is changing Iceland’s landscape faster than natural processes, according to Karl Arnar Arnarson, managing director of Loftmyndir ehf. The company photographed 110 urban settlements and 12 popular tourist destinations across the country this summer.

“Our surroundings are constantly changing, and those changes need to be monitored and documented,” Karl Arnar said. “Natural development plays a major role in shaping the country, but changes caused by human activity, such as various construction projects, are much faster.”

Loftmyndir aims to photograph Iceland’s urban areas every two to three years at most. Because development is progressing so quickly in many parts of the country, the company plans to photograph towns, cities and villages nationwide every year from now on.

The company photographed destinations including Reynisfjara beach, Gullfoss waterfall, Hvítserkur, Bjargtangar and Þingvellir. Its aerial images also show how greatly Grindavík has changed following natural disasters.

The company’s photography season runs from July 15 to August 31, when there is least snow in the highlands and vegetation is generally in bloom. This summer, clear and sunny conditions allowed Loftmyndir to photograph 18 percent of Iceland.

Loftmyndir has operated since 1996 and uses advanced equipment. With currently available technology, the company can photograph urban areas at a resolution of five centimetres from an altitude of 1,000 to 3,000 metres.

This was done over the Reykjavík capital area this summer using a specially equipped aircraft owned by Garðaflug ehf. The plane followed designated routes, taking photographs automatically at regular intervals.

Drones are generally unsuitable for aerial photography of this kind. Large unmanned aircraft would be needed, and operating them, for example over urban areas, would involve various requirements and permits.

Combined into a single image

Each flight produces a large number of photographs, which are combined into a single whole through computer processing. Higher resolution produces more accurate images that can be used more effectively.

The images are used by the Road Administration, energy companies, engineering firms, municipalities and others working with Iceland’s land data and resources. Members of the public also frequently request imagery. For example, people buying land for a summer house may use aerial photographs when planning the plot.

Images dating back to 1953 made available

The detailed summer images will become available on map.is, Loftmyndir’s website, in October. The site also provides older images from the National Land Survey of Iceland dating back to 1953, and more images are being added.

Access to all the material on the website is free. The site has proved useful for comparing changes in settlements, vegetation, landscapes and other features over long periods.

The images also document changes to glaciers. The ice sheets are thinning and glacier tongues are retreating, and these developments are being monitored closely for scientific purposes.