Document Type : Research Paper

Author

• Mahdi Modiri

Associate Professor of Urban planning, Malek-Ashtar University of Technolog

Abstract

Aerial photography is one of the best methods of collecting geographic information which, considering its various applications, has been one of the most suitable tools for the valuable science of surveying over the past century. After the end of the World War II, aerial photography experienced remarkable progress, and preparation of aerial photos of areas in a short period of time became possible. In 1918, in a period of four days of war, 56,000 aerial photos were prepared. In the period between two World Wars, application of aerial photos was significantly slowed down. In armed forces, interpretation of aerial photos was in direct connection with precision of photography as well as exact geometric conditions and their up-to-date information. Later, valuable progress was made in commercial and scientific branches of aerial photo preparation, and military surveying organizations practiced aerial photography, interpretation of aerial photos and conversion of photos into maps. Utilization of aerial photos for accurate measurements in photogrammetry become common. The ground-based technique of topographic map preparation was reduced in necessity and provision of maps from areas difficult to pass became possible. Germany, familiar with the importance of aerial photos and their interpretation during the Second World War, based its plans on utilization of coverage photos of forest regions. Interpretation of aerial photos was applied in estimation of the depth of waters. After the Second World War, the experiences obtained during the war regarding interpretation of photos became a basis for varied applications of it in reconstruction and peaceful developmental activities, including preparation of topographic coverage maps and developmental and cadaster large-scale maps.