Assignment (10 Actual Marks)

Part I: General
6.1. Define an aerial vertical photograph, an aerial tilted photograph, a low oblique
aerial photograph, and a high oblique aerial photograph.

6.2 In question 6.1, state the advantages and disadvantages of each type of aerial
photograph in respect to the others.

6.3. Define the following:

• Focal length
• Principal points
• Nadir point
• Isocenter
• Flying height
• Datum
• Plumb line
• Optical axis
• Fiducial marks
• Ground elevation

6.4. Draw a diagram showing the geometric relationship among all the elements in
question 6.3.

6.5. What are the major sources of distortions and displacements affecting aerial
photographs?

6.6. Describe relief displacement and its effect on a vertical aerial photograph and
state its benefits and drawbacks.

6.7. What is image motion and what causes it?

6.8. Suppose we measured the distances between the fiducial marks of a vertical
photograph to be 23.37 cm along x-axis and 23.35 cm along y-axis. The calibrated
measurement on the same camera used to take the photograph were found to be 23.15
cm and 23.17 cm, respectively along x-axis and y-axis. Find the correct values for the
following measured photocoordinates of points a, b, c, and d:
xa = -8.93 cm xb = -10.15 cm xc = 9.37 cm xd = 6.92 cm
ya = -9.25 cm yb = 7.67 cm yc = 10.13 cm yd = -10.41 cm

6.9. Assume that we know the correct photocoordinates of the following points on a
vertical photograph:

xa = 83.74 cm xb = -76.35 cm xc = -24.83 cm xd = 50.52 cm

ya = -90.92 cm yb = 86.80 cm yc = 5.09 cm yd = 54.27 cm

The photocoordinates of these points were measured on the photograph as:

xa = 84.08 cm xb = -76.67 cm xc = -24.96 cm xd = 50.74 cm

ya = -91.47 cm yb = 87.33 cm yc = 5.19 cm yd = 54.62 cm

If the distances between the fiducial marks of the photograph were measured to be
233.6 mm along x-axis and 233.4 mm along y-axis, what are the corresponding
calibrated distances on the camera?

Part II: Relief and tilt displacement

6.10. Assume you want to take vertical aerial photographs over a mountainous terrain.
Would you use a 152.4-mm or a 209-mm focal length camera? Why?

6.11. In question 7.8, which flying height would be more suitable to take better
photographs, 2000 m or 3500 m above datum? Why?

6.12. Draw a diagram showing relief displacement of an electric pole extending above
datum and a ditch extending below datum. On the photographic positive image, draw
the displaced image of each feature and use an arrow to indicate the direction of
displacement in respect to the photo center (assume a truly vertical photograph).

6.13. Select the correct word(s) in the brackets:

a. Topographic displacement varies [directly, inversely] with the focal

length of the camera, [directly, inversely] with the flying height of the
aircraft above datum, [directly, inversely] with the height of the object,
and [directly, inversely] with the distance of the object from the
[principal point, nadir, isocenter].
b. Objects above datum are displaced radially [inward toward, outward
away from] the [principal point, nadir, isocenter] and those below datum
 are displaced radially [inward toward, outward from] the [principal
point, nadir, isocenter].
c. Tilt displacement is radial from [the principal point, nadir, isocenter].

6.14. Describe tilt and its effect on vertical aerial photographs and state its causes.

6.15. Draw a 5 cm by 5 cm vertical photograph, place the four fiducial marks, and
find the principal point of the photograph. Suppose an aircraft was flying in the East-
West direction (East is to the right on your 5x5 cm photo) with the left wing being up
and the right wing being down. Sketch the position of the nadir point and the isocenter
with respect to the principal point, then draw the tilt axis and indicate the up and down
sides of the tilt.

6.16. From problem 6.13, assume a tall tower was located on the up side of the tilted
photograph. Sketch the actual position of the tower on the photograph as affected by
the combined effect of relief and tilt and sketch the true position of this tower had the
photograph been free of tilt and relief displacement (see figure 6.25 for help).

6.17. Assume you have located the principal point on an aerial vertical photograph.
Assume also that the photograph was taken from an aircraft 3000 m above datum and
using a 152.4-mm focal length camera tilted 2o from the vertical. If a 100-m tower is
located 9.8 cm from the principal point, on the down side of the tilt, and on the line
passing through the principal point, what is the image relief displacement on the
photograph?

6.18. An aircraft was flying at 5000 m above datum taking aerial vertical photograph.
If the optical axis of the lens was tilted 4o from the vertical, how far would the nadir
be from the principal point on the ground and on the tilted photograph if the focal
length of 152.4 mm was used. How far would the isocenter be from the principal point
and the nadir?

6.19. A truly vertical photograph was taken at a flying height of 6000 m above datum.
A 110-m- tall building was located on the photograph and the distance between its
base and the principal point was measured to be 8 cm. Calculate the displacement of
the building on the photograph and state the direction of this displacement in respect
to the photo center.

6.20. In the previous problem, another tower was identified on the photograph and the
distances between the photo center and the base and the top of the tower were
measured to be 7.53 cm and 7.95 cm respectively. Find the height of the tower.
6.21. The distance between the top and the base of a 150-m-high tower was found to
be 5.7 mm. If the distance from the nadir to the base of the tower is 8.8 cm and the
ground elevation of the top of the tower is 500 m above mean sea level, how high was
the aircraft flying above datum at the moment of exposure?

6.22. Find the displacement of a tree that is 100 m high if the photographic distance
from its base to the nadir is 7.6 cm and if the photograph was taken vertically at a
flying height of 6000 m above datum.

6.23. The distance, on a vertical photograph, from the nadir to the top of a hill is 9.1
cm and the hill is 200 m higher that datum on the ground. If the photograph was taken
from an aircraft flying at 5500 m above datum at the time of exposure, by how much
is the top of the hill displaced from its base?

6.24. A photograph was taken with a 305 mm focal length from an aircraft flying at
6500 m above datum. By how much would the summit of a 130-m-tall tower be
displaced from its base if its base is at 2 kilometers from the nadir on the ground?

6.25. On a truly vertical photograph, a 300-m-high hill was photographed at 8.5 cm

from the photo center. If the photograph was taken at a flying altitude of 3000 m
above the base of the hill, what would be the amount of relief displacement of the
summit of the hill from its base?

6.26. The radial distance between the nadir and the top of building is measured on a
photograph as 6.8 cm. The distance between the top and the bottom of the building is
0.95 cm. What is the height of the building if the photograph was taken from an
altitude of 4500 m above datum.

6.27. Two trees with the same height (85 m) are 1800 m and 1200 m from the nadir on
the ground. The photograph was taken from a flying altitude of 3000 m above datum
with a 152.4 mm focal length. Which tree is displaced more and by how much
compared to the other tree?

6.28. Assume a tower, at a distance R from the nadir on the ground, was photographed
from the same altitude using simultaneously a 152.4-mm and a 305-mm focal lengths.
Which focal length will cause a larger displacement and by how much compared to
the other focal length?

6.29. Assume a vertical photograph was taken at 2900 m above mean sea level with a
152.4-mm focal length. What is the relief displacement of the top of a hill that extends
750 m above mean sea level and whose image on the photograph is 9.45 cm from the
photo center?
6.30. A vertical photograph was taken at a flying altitude of 2000 m above datum. The
summit of a hill, which extends 400 m above datum, was imaged at 8.25 cm from the
photo center. By how much and in what direction is the top of the hill displaced from
its planimetric position? Where would be the true position of the top of the hill on the
photograph?

6.31. The figure below shows a parcel that was imaged on a vertical photograph taken
at a flying height of 2000 m above datum with a 152.4-mm focal length. The
corners a, b, c, and d of the parcel are respectively 3.12 cm, 9.91 cm, 12.15 cm, and
10.98 cm from the photo center. The corresponding ground points A and C are
respectively 420 m and 315 m above datum and B and D are respectively 460 m and
500 m below datum. Find the amount of relief displacement for the four corners and
draw the correct positions a', b', c', and d'.
6.32. A vertical photograph was taken at a flying height of 2500 m above mean sea
level. A pine tree was identified on the photograph and the distance between its
bottom and its top was measured to be 6.25 mm on the photograph. the radial distance
from the photo center to the base of the tree was found to be 9.16 cm. If the base of
the tree is 1200 m above mean sea level, how tall is this tree?

6.33. A 210-mm focal length camera was used to take a vertical aerial photograph at
2500 m above datum. A tall building was located on the photograph and the distance
between its bottom and the photo center was measured to be 7.53 cm and that between
its top and the photo center was measured to be 8.15 mm. How tall is the tree?

6.34. Two points a and b were identified on a vertical photograph taken at a flying
height of 2000 m above datum. Point a is located on the bisector line of the top right
quadrant defined by the +x and +y axes of the photograph and at 9.25 cm from the
photo center. Point b is located on the bisector line of the bottom left quadrant defined
by the +x and -y axes of the photograph and at 7.65 cm from the photo center. The
corresponding ground elevations are hA = 300 m above datum and hB = 150 m below
datum. Find the relief displacement of points a and b and, after correcting both points
for the displacement, compute the angle formed at the photo center between the two
lines radial from a and b.

Part III: Ground coordinates from Vertical and tilted photo

measurements
6.35. The images a and b of two ground points A and B were identified on a vertical
photograph taken with a 152.4-mm focal length camera. The photocoordinates of
points a and b are xa = 4.55 cm, ya = -5.62 cm, xb = 8.25 cm, and yb = -7.75 cm.
Ground elevations above datum for points A and B are 400 m and 450 m, respectively
and the horizontal distance between A and B is 1000 m. Find the flying height of the
aircraft above datum.

6.36. The ground elevations of points A, B, and C are 320 m, 80 m, and 150 m,
respectively. The photocoordinates of their images on a vertical photograph, after
correction for film shrinkage, are xa = 4.61 cm, yb = 7.15 cm, xb = 5.83 cm, yb = -5.20
cm, xc = -5.73 cm, and yc = -8.45 cm. If the photograph were taken at 2800 m above
mean sea level with a 210-mm focal length camera, what would be the horizontal
distances of lines AB, AC, and BC?

6.37. Points a, b, and c on a vertical photograph are imaged positions for ground
points A, B, and C. The photograph was taken from a flying height of 4500 m above
datum with a 152.4-mm focal length camera. The photocoordinates of the three points
are xa = -52.25 mm, ya = 22.53 mm, xb = 55.15 mm, yb = 89.75 mm, xc = 59.15 mm,
and yc = -81.34 mm. The ground elevations are hA = 200 m, hB = 100 m, and hC =
300 m. Find the ground coordinates for points A, B, and C, the ground horizontal
distances of AB, AC, and BC, and the horizontal angles at A, B, and C.

6.38. Images a and b, of two ground points A and B, were identified on a vertical
photograph taken at a flying altitude of 2000 m above datum and with a 152.4-mm
focal length. The photocoordinates of a and b, measured with respect to the x and y
axes determined by the fiducial marks, are xa = -6.25 cm, ya = -5.72 cm, xb = 3.14 cm,
and yb = 5.28 cm. What is the horizontal ground distance between A and B if A is 200
m and B is 150 m above datum?

6.39. Three ground features, A, B, and C were imaged at a, b, and c on a vertical

photograph taken at 2500 m above datum with a 152.4-mm focal length camera.
Ground elevations for points A, B, and C were found to be 450 m, 400 m, and 500 m,
respectively. The photocoordinates of a, b, and c, measured with respect
to x and y axes defined by the fiducial marks, are xa = 5.17 cm, ya = 4.05 cm, xb = 4.10
cm, yb = -6.25 cm, xc = -7.12 cm, and yc = -6.31 cm. Find the horizontal ground
distances of AB, AC, and BC.

6.40. Solve problem 6.32 using equations 6.19 and 6.20.

6.41. Solve problem 6.35 assuming that the photograph is not vertical but tilted at
3o20' from the vertical with a swing angle of 260o.

6.42. Two ground points A and B were imaged at points a and b on an aerial
photograph taken with a 152.4-mm focal length lens, a 2o 85' tilt, and a swing angle of
67o. The photocoordinates of points a and b are xa = -5.65 cm, ya = 7.12 cm, xb = -6.15
cm, and yb = -3.56 cm. The ground elevations of points A and B are hA = 300 m
and hB = 600 m and the horizontal distance between A and B is 1500 m. Find the
flying height above mean sea level from which the photograph was taken.

6.43. An aerial photograph was taken with a 210-mm focal length camera inclined at
2o95' from the vertical and with a swing of 115o. Find the photocoordinates of the
nadir and the isocenter with respect to the axes defined by the fiducial marks.

Part IV: Ground coordinates from oblique photograph

measurements
6.44. The flying height of an oblique photograph is 3200 m above datum and the focal
length is 210 mm. If the distance between the principal point and the apparent
horizon, measured along the principal meridian, is 8.95 cm, what is the dip angle and
the true depression angle?

6.45. Use the information from problem 6.42 to compute the distances between the
principal point and: the true horizon, the nadir, and the isocenter.

6.46. A 210-mm focal length camera was used to take an oblique photograph at a
flying height of 2000 m above datum. the average ground elevation of the photograph
is 380 m above datum and the distance between the principal point and the apparent
horizon, measured along the principal line, is 72.5 mm. Find the true depression angle.

6.47. Solve problem 6.44 if the flying height is 1200 m above datum, the focal length
is 152.4 mm, the average ground elevation is 200 m above datum, and the distance
between the principal point and the apparent horizon, measured along the principal
line, is 67.3 mm.