Geospatial Lab Application 9.

1 Name:

Visual Imagery Interpretation

Question 9.1:
Examine image 1. What (specifically) is being displayed in this image? What elements of visual
image interpretation lead you to draw this conclusion?

Ans: This is the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO. The key here is the shadow being cast by the
Arch it looks very distinctive, even though the physical dimensions of the Arch are largely hidden
by the overhead view. The Arch's shadow gives away the shape of the Arch as well. Also, the
shadow gives the clue that the object is very large and very tall.

Question 9.2:
Examine image 2. There are many similar objects in this image, but you’ll notice some
differences too. What (specifically) is being displayed in this image, and what is its location?
What elements of visual image interpretation lead you to draw this conclusion?

Ans: This is the National Tennis Center (for the U.S. Open) in Flushing Meadows, NY. The tone
and shape indicate that the green objects with the white lines are tennis courts (the pattern of
white lines helps determine this as well). Also, there are multiple courts arranged in a pattern.
While lots of places (like a university campus) may have multiple tennis courts, the site of the
Center Court area is surrounded by multiple bleachers and seating, setting the whole area off as
something much more special than a city parks and recreation area. The pattern of features at the
entranceway (at the bottom of the photo) and the grounds is distinctive as well. Given that the
other major tennis tournaments (the French Open, the Australian Open, and Wimbledon) are not
held in the United States (and all these images are of sites within the United States), the solution
can also be narrowed down

Question 9.3:
Examine image 3. What (specifically) is being displayed in this image? What elements of visual
image interpretation lead you to draw this conclusion?

Ans: This is the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. The size indicates a large structure
(compared to cars seen in the image), but the key is the cross-like shape of the structure indicating
a church or other religious building. The shadows also show cathedral-style spires and architecture
not otherwise visible from the overhead view. In addition, association shows very little parking for
a church this size, also giving a clue that it is a historic structure.

Question 9.4:
Examine image 4. What (specifically) is being displayed in this image? What elements of visual
image interpretation lead you to draw this conclusion?
Ans: This is Ellis Island in New York City, NY. The site indicates an island and association shows a
limited number of boat docks. Through relative size, we can see that the boats arriving are large
and the island is also, thus a relatively large size (Ellis Island is approximately 27.5 acres in size).
The shape of the island (rectangular vs. natural) indicates a human-made (or artificially shaped)
island. The pattern of the buildings is indicative of a very organized arrangement. Also, the historic
buildings all have the distinctive red roofs associated with Ellis Island.

Question 9.5:
Examine image 5. What (specifically) is being displayed in this image? What elements of visual
image interpretation lead you to draw this conclusion?

Ans: This is the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, part of the Smithsonian in
Washington, D.C. The key feature is the museum's distinctive round shape with the large "donut
hole" in the middle. The white color (tone) is also a clue, while the museum's shadow indicates a
tall cylindrical building. In addition, its site and associated phenomena show it in a busy city
(surrounded by 4- to 8-lane roads), and its size indicates a large city block-sized structure.

Question 9.6:
Examine image 6. What (specifically) is being displayed in this image? What elements of visual
image interpretation lead you to draw this conclusion?

Ans: This is the Memphis Pyramid in Memphis, TN (which was formerly a performing arts arena
and today serves as a "superstore" for Bass Pro Shops). The key here is the triangular shape of
the pyramid, and its relative size indicates a large structure. Though there are other large
pyramid-shaped locales in the United States (such as the Luxor casino pyramid in Las Vegas),
the site shows this one to be on a large body of water. In addition, the immense amount of
associated parking shows that this is a major destination, one that can accommodate large
numbers of people (given its previous life as an arena).

Question 9.7:
Examine image 7. There are several different items in this image, but they all add up to one
specific thing. What, specifically, is this image showing, and what is its location? What elements
of visual image interpretation lead you to draw this conclusion?

Ans: This is the US Arizona Memorial located at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The site shows the
location to be in the middle of the water and the size of the white-colored structure in the water is
relatively small. Association shows it to be a boat dock. However, the key feature is the shape of
the large warship under the water. The size of the sunken ship shows it be very large, and the
shape of the sunken ship (with the pattern / arrangement of its guns) indicates a battleship. The
tone of the water also shows it is relatively not very deep (the US Arizona is submerged in less
than 40 feet of water).
Question 9.8:
Examine image 8. There are several items visible in this image, but there’s one that’s more
prominent than the others. What, specifically, is this item? What elements of visual image
interpretation lead you to draw this conclusion?

Ans: This is the US Wisconsin, which is permanently docked in the Hampton Roads Naval
Museum in Norfolk, VA. The size of the ship indicates it to be very large, while its shape and
arrangement of its armaments indicate it is a battleship (as opposed to some other type of ship—
the three sets of 16-inch guns help in identifying it as a battleship). However, there are several
indications that we are looking at a decommissioned ship at a museum rather than an active-duty
ship at a military installation. The site of the US Wisconsin appears to be at a berth during a city
and docked adjacent to a large pier with structures on it. The large open area to the south of the
ship indicates some type of pedestrian walkway. In addition, there are no other large naval
vessels in its small docking area

Question 9.9:
Examine image 9. What (specifically) is being displayed in this image? What elements of visual
image interpretation lead you to draw this conclusion? For instance, it’s obviously an island, but
what types of features does this island have (or not have) that may aid in identifying what is
being shown here?

Ans: This is Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco, CA. Alcatraz was formerly a federal
penitentiary but is now operated by the U.S. National Park Service as a historic area. Its site
indicates an island with several structures on it, and its associated phenomena show just one boat
dock. The shape of the island indicates a natural island (as opposed to the previously discussed
human-made Ellis Island). The pattern of the structures shows them grouped tightly together, and
the differences in tone and texture show the large outdoor prison yard compared with the buildings
and or natural features. The shadows indicate a single large water tower and a smaller guard tower
in the east along with walls around the outdoor paved yard.

Question 9.10:
Examine image 10. What (specifically) is being displayed in this image? What elements of visual
image interpretation lead you to draw this conclusion?

Ans: This is Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY, a historic national monument operated by the U.S.
National Park Service. The most distinctive feature is the four-pointed shape of the fort, which is
the main indicator of what type of fort this is. Also, its site indicates the fort is in the middle of a
city with associated features of multilane roads and residential areas all around it all things that
indicate a historic area. The texture of the greenery around the fort also indicates a well-
maintained area, another indication of a historic location.