NORWAY 
7 
REPORT 
ON THE PHOTOGRAMMETRICAL WORK CARRIED OUT BY 
NORSK POLARINSTITUTT 1938—1955 
BY 
II. U. SVERDRUP 
DIRECTOR 
Norsk Polarinstitutt (The Norwegian Polar Institute) was established 
in 1948 in order to continue and expand the work which had been carried out 
by Norges Svalbard- og Ishavs-undersokelser (Norwegian Scientific Explora 
tion of Svalbard and Polar Regions), founded in 1928. One of the principal 
tasks of Norsk Polarinstitutt is that of increasing our knowledge of the geo 
graphical conditions in the polar regions, especially those belonging to Nor 
way. Here the surveying is of the greatest importance and is the basis for 
the geological investigations and the hydrographical work in the surrounding 
waters. Norsk Polarinstitutt also undertakes glaciological investigations in 
the polar regions and in Norway proper. 
The surveying is to a great extent based on aerial photogrammetry. In 
the north the flights have been carried out by the Royal Norwegian Air Force, 
using long range aircrafts. Norsk Polarinstitutt’s own photographer is re 
sponsible for the photography. The air photography in Dronning Maud Land, 
Antarctic, in January 1951 was performed by Wideroes Flyveselskap og Polar- 
fly A/S. Their photographer took also part in the survey in December 1951 
and January 1952, with aircrafts supplied by the Royal Swedish Air Forces. 
Oblique photograms have mostly been applied for the small scale mapping, 
the camera being a Zeiss, f = 21 cm, size 18 x 18 cm, dipped 20° from the 
horizon. Vertical photographs have partly been taken by normal camera and 
partly by wide angle camera f = 10 cm. The plotting has been done in a 
Zeiss stereoplanigraph, C/5, belonging to the institute. Terrestrial photo 
grammetry has been employed in glaciological measurements and for some 
other tasks. A Zeiss stereoautograph has been used for plotting these photo 
grams. Different types of cameras for ground and air surveying, as well as 
different plotting machines have been employed. 
Svalbard. 
In the summer of 1938 2200 oblique air photograms were taken in the 
northeast part of Svalbard. During the war no field work was undertaken 
and the plotting machine was for periods requisitioned by the occupants. In 
1948 and 1950 supplementary air photography and some terrestrial photo 
grammetry were carried out in Svalbard, also covering the island Hopen. 
The maps based on the general survey are plotted on the scale of 
1 : 50 000 with contour intervals of 50 metres. In addition, the 25 m contour 
line is drawn. Two of these ’’plotting sheets” form an ordinary map sheet on 
a scale of 1 : 100 000. The normal size of the maps is 20 minutes latitude and 
2/ 2 degrees longitude. The maps are printed in six colours. Between Sorkapp 
and Isfjorden six sheets have been published and several have been plotted, 
ready for publication. A preliminary map of Hopen on a scale of 1 : 100 000 
is printed, in black only.