OPERATIONAL IMAGE-BASED MAPPING IN THE F RANZ JOSEF LAND ARCHIPELAGO 
Robert Kostka 
Graz University of Technology, Austria 
Aleksey Sharov 
Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography 
Commission IV, WG IV/2 - International Mapping from Space 
KEY WORDS: Spaceborne Photograph, SAR Image, Topological Studies, Photogrammetric Mapping, Franz Josef Land, Spirit 
Leveling, Combined Image-Line Map 
ABSTRACT 
High-resolution spaceborne photographs, radar imagery and old aerial photographs were successfully used for topological studies and 
photogrammetric mapping at different scales ranging from 1:600,000 to 1:15,000 in the Franz Josef Land archipelago, Russian High 
Arctic. Studies have shown significant changes in the region compared to the situation represented in available maps. Ground control 
data were collected and spirit leveling between old geodetic spots and the current sea level was carried out on several islands during 
field campaigns in 1994 and 1995. Results of measurements were reduced to the mean sea level of the Barents Sea, as recorded at the 
Krenkel station, and have clearly shown the subsidence of those islands in the past 40 years. Several combined image-line maps of the 
archipelago were compiled by means of digital mono- and stereoplotting on a standard PC equipped with a stereoscopic console. The 
results were obtained with reasonable accuracy and on a time-efficient basis. Some contradictions in existing theories of the arctic 
geosciences and some surprising findings were revealed in the course of cartographic investigations. 
1. INTRODUCTION misinterpretations on current geophysical processes and their 
environmental impacts on the archipelago. 
Franz Josef Land (FJL) is the northernmost archipelago in the 
European Arctic which is regarded as a very problematic area The present paper describes the results achieved in attempts to 
for traditional cartography and thus was hitherto poorly solve these tasks. Major attention is paid to the following 
mapped. Available topographic and thematic maps containing topics: 
major spatial information about the whole archipelago were e topological studies and analyses of recent natural changes in 
mostly created through materials of the last aerial and geodetic several coastal areas of FJL by means of comparing 
surveys carried out in 1953-1959. How obsolete are those maps historical maps and multitemporal remote sensing data; 
and how reliable are those geodetic data today? This question * digital mono- and stereoplotting on the basis of Russian 
has never been asked before, due, presumably, to the traditional spaceborne photographs of high ground resolution on a 
opinion on the High Arctic territories as being among those on personal computer (PC) supported by field observations and 
the Earth having the slowest rate of topographic changes. topographic-geodetic surveys; 
Topological studies, that is interpreting the history of a region e interpretation of current vertical movements in the 
as indicated by its topography (Webster's encyclopedic archipelago and compilation of several image-based maps 
dictionary 1996), is a field in which nothing has so far been of FJL at different scales ranging from 1:600,000 to 
done in FJL. 1:50,000. 
This extensive research has resulted in 3 combined image-line 
Meanwhile, complex cartographic investigations in FJL carried maps, 1 basic contour map, 1 sketch map, several geographical 
out in 1993-1995 by the Graz University of Technology in ^ discoveries and surprising findings. 
association with the Moscow State University of Geodesy and 
Cartography have revealed drastic topographic changes, having 2. ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF FRANZ JOSEF LAND 
occurred in those lands in the course of the past 40 years, and 
showed that available topographic maps are neither updated nor 2.1 Short description 
accurate (Kostka, Sharov 1996). All obsolete map sheets must 
be revised on an economical basis by resurvey from automatic ^ FJL is situated in the northeastern part of the Barents Sea 
polar-orbiting satellites carrying high-resolution instruments, between 79°46'-81°52'N and 44°55'-65°23'E, which is about 
both optical and radar. Apart from the acquisition of suitable 800 km from the nearest point on the Eurasian continent. This 
spaceborne imagery, two high-level tasks to be solved are: arctic archipelago includes 191 large and small mountainous 
* determining the modes of environmental changes and islands with a total land area of 16,134 km? and stretches 366 
providing reliable basic control for operational mapping in km from west to east and 233 km from south to north. Cape 
the High Arctic; Fligley on Rudolph Island is renowned as the northernmost part 
* developing an effective technique for photogrammetric of land relating to the "old world" and belonging to the Russian 
mapping in these remote areas via spaceborne imagery. Federation. By decree of the Russian government of 23.04.1994 
Moreover, Russian topographers have the duty to warn all the whole territory of FJL with the adjoining aquatories - 
geoscientists about inaccuracies in the topographic maps of FIL 42,000 square kilometers in total - was proclaimed a national 
still in use as well as correcting several wrong hypotheses and park of federal importance. 
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International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B4. Vienna 1996