ORTHOPHOTOQUAD MAPPING PROGRAM FOR ALASKA.

The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) is the lead civilian mapping agency in the United States and is responsible for creating and maintaining numerous map series. In Alaska the standard topographic map series is at a scale of 1:63,360, and maps at that scale have been available from the USGS since the late 1940's. In 1981 USGS initiated production of orthophotoquads of Alaska, also at a scale of 1:63,360 to be compatible with the topographic map series. An orthophotoquad (OQ) is prepared from a rectified or differentially rectified and scaled black-and-white photographic image published in quadrangle format. The current status of the Alaska OQ program is summarized and sample OQ's are illustrated. Engineering applications of orthophotoquads are discussed, with an emphasis on their use in the on-shore and near-shore areas. A combination of orthophoto imagery and topographic line maps is described as a planning and engineering tool. Sources of map separates and orthophotoquads are provided.