Scientists Create First High-Resolution 3D Fodar Map of Denali
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Fairbanks Fodar has created a new extremely high-resolution map of Denali.
It’s not news that when planning a backcountry adventure in the mountains, using tools like Google Earth or CalTopo can help you scope lines from your couch, but when it comes to extremely remote zones like Alaska, the imagery tends be somewhat lacking. Zoom in to a usable distance, and the resolution of satellite imagery simply isn’t good enough to make any meaningful observations.
Enter Fairbanks Fodar, a company based out of Fairbanks, Alaska. What’s fodar? Dr. Matt Nolan breaks it down.“By flying a pattern over an area with a GPS and a camera, we take a bunch of photos and their corresponding GPS data and feed it into software that creates a 3D map,” Nolan told TGR.
The 3D image created is accurate down to a few centimeters, far better than satellite imagery or ground surveying technology. Fodar is a portmanteau of "foto" and "lidar." The technology is used by aerial drones for obstacle avoidance.
Their latest map is one of Denali, and holy sh** it’s impressive. Nolan says the Denali project was a personal favorite and a bit of a labor of love after having spent years in the area staring at the Big One and finding an aircraft suitable for flying in the conditions around the mountain. Take a few minutes to play around with the 3D model, and yeah, go ahead and mindsurf some lines down it.
Now imagine this technology for your local ski zones.
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Nolan has used the technology to create high resolution maps of mountains all over Alaska, including on an expedition to the extremely remote Brooks Range with ski mountaineer Kit DesLauriers.
“When Kit climbed and skied the five highest peaks in the area, her measurements from the summits were within a centimeter or two of what my fodar-derived maps said,” Nolan boasted. The Denali map was made from data collected on a single flight over the mountain in early April. Read here for the full story.
Of course, the technology mostly gets used by state and federal government entities for mapping remote areas, be it for studying snow depth or for resource extraction. The fact that these maps often only require a single day in the field makes it possible to update them very regularly, allowing researchers to measure changes in topography due to receding glaciers or snowmelt.
However, from the standpoint of trip planning and scouting lines, the technology is unparalleled. Fairbanks Fodar even has a page with more maps of mountains, including the Brooks Range, where Nolan and DesLauriers are planning to return this winter.
