We obtained sub-meter resolution aerial images of Samoylov Island by mounting two Nikon D200 cameras on a helium-filled dirigible. Images were acquired in the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) ranges (together referred to as the VNIR range). The internal IR-filters were removed from the cameras in a laboratory (LPD LLC, USA), allowing them to capture a maximum range from about 330 to 1200 nm. A Schneider Kreuznach B+W 486 UV-IR cut filter was used for one of the cameras to obtain images in the VIS range, from about 400 to 690 nm, while the second camera was fitted with a Schneider Kreuznach B+W IR-filter 093 to acquire images in the NIR range, above about 830 nm. Flights took place at noon on sunny, cloudless days on August 1, August 9, August 15, and September 11, 2008. Flight altitudes ranged from about 400 m about 1000 m. […]
