Please contact DGGS at dnr.dggs.webapps@alaska.gov with any feedback or questions.
What is the Geologic Photos of Alaska application?
Can I use these photos?
How do I download a photo?
How should the photos be credited?
How do I search records in Geologic Photos of Alaska?
How are the fields defined?
Geologic Photos of Alaska is a web-based tool to discover photos taken during Division of Geological & Geophysical Survey (DGGS) field programs throughout the State of Alaska. The application contains a text- and map-based search interface to make information easily accessible. The application provides information and a location for each photo, if known. Locations are shown by a pin or area. More information about the application and underlying data can be found in the metadata file.
All photos in Geologic Photos of Alaska are available for free public use courtesy of DGGS, unless otherwise credited. The application contains a minor number of photos credited to other data sources. See How should the photos be credited?
To save a full-resolution copy of a photo, click on a photo or its link below the photo to navigate to the detail (description) page for the photo. Right-click on the photo and select to save the image. A left-click on this image will open a full-resolution view of the photo.
Please cite the photographer and "Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys" when using an image. If a non-DGGS source is credited, you must obtain permission from the copyright holder and/or follow their citation specifications. An example DGGS citation: Photo courtesy of Rocky R. Reifenstuhl, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys.
The Geologic Photos of Alaska application and underlying database may be queried by geographic area, specific text, or a combination of area and text. The buttons beneath the map control the numbers of photos that display at a time (6 through 96) and other results parameters.
To search geographically an Area of Interest (AOI) tool is available from the map interface that queries the spatial footprints of the photos. Click on the AOI icon (gray button with black square) and click and drag your mouse to define your area of interest. The AOI search will run automatically. Clear your AOI search by clicking the AOI icon and selecting [Cancel]. You may repeat your exact search at a later time by saving the URL and re-entering it into the browser's address bar. Most photos have an associated spatial footprint, either as a discreet point when the location is well known or as an area when the location is not well known. Spatial footprints describing poorly known locations are not shown on the map, but are used for searching purposes.
The Search Bar above the map allows for queries of single and multiple terms, where multiple terms without other query specifications are always searched with an implied Boolean "AND." Advanced search parameters include logical operators AND, OR, NOT (also "-" for NOT). Text from all photo descriptive fields may be queried through the Search Bar using the format of the following examples. The photo file name, e.g. "85DllnTlr.jpg", is also searchable, and is discoverable by hovering the mouse curser over an image.
Search examples:
taken:2001-01-01
entered:[2001-11 TO 2020-11]
taken:2013
taken:[2013 TO *]
title:rock*
description:”Rocky Point”
sand AND -title:rock
Definitions of fields available in the public interface. See the metadata for a complete list of fields and definitions.
| Field name | Search name | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Title | title | Brief summary of photo subject (public field) |
| Credit | credit | Photographer's first and last name; data source is assumed to be DGGS unless otherwise noted. (public field) |
| Description | description | Information about photo, which may include associated project, scale, orientation, geologic data, location, and photo subject details. (public field) |
| Taken | taken | Date taken. If the day is unknown, recorded as the first day of the month; if the month and day are unknown, recorded as January 1. (public field) |
| Tagged | tags | Keywords (subject, geology, place, etc.) to facilitate photo searching. Examples include sunset, lake, helicopter, brooks range, outcrop, and aerial view. (public field) |
| Location accuracy | accuracy | Picklist: good, fair, poor. Good location accuracy is defined as a known outcrop location or constrained to within several kilometers. Fair accuracy is defined as location known at 1:63,360 scale or larger (±10 km). Poor accuracy is defined as location known at smaller than 1:63,360 scale (±60 km). (internal field) |
| Security | ispublic | Picklist: public, private. Determines whether photo is available through the public application. (internal field) |
| image_id | id | Unique numerical ID for every photo (internal field) |
| filename | filename | Image file name (internal field) |
| entered | entered | Date photo was entered into the database (internal field) |