Terrain-related imagery are primarily derived from Lidar, stereoscopic aerial imagery, or Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar datasets. Consequently, these derivatives inherit the limitations and uncertainties of the parent sensor and platform and the processing techniques used to produce the imagery. The terrain images are orthographic; they have been georeferenced and displacement due to sensor orientation and topography have been removed, producing data that combines the characteristics of an image with the geometric qualities of a map. The orthographic images show ground features such as roads, buildings, and streams in their proper positions, without the distortion characteristic of unrectified aerial or satellite imagery. Digital orthoimages produced and used within the Forest Service are developed from imagery acquired through various national and regional image acquisition programs. The resulting orthoimages can be directly applied in remote sensing, GIS and mapping applications. They serve a variety of purposes, from interim maps to references for earth science investigations and analysis. Because of the orthographic property, an orthoimage can be used like a map for measurement of distances, angles, and areas with scale being constant everywhere. Also, they can be used as map layers in GIS or other computer-based manipulation, overlaying, and analysis. An orthoimage differs from a map in a manner of depiction of detail; on a map only selected detail is shown by conventional symbols, whereas on an orthoimage all details appear just as in original aerial or satellite imagery.

Terrain-related imagery are primarily derived from Lidar, stereoscopic aerial imagery, or Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar datasets. Consequently, these derivatives inherit the limitations and uncertainties of the parent sensor and platform and the processing techniques used to produce the imagery. The terrain images are orthographic; they have been georeferenced and displacement due to sensor orientation and topography have been removed, producing data that combines the characteristics of an image with the geometric qualities of a map. The orthographic images show ground features such as roads, buildings, and streams in their proper positions, without the distortion characteristic of unrectified aerial or satellite imagery. Digital orthoimages produced and used within the Forest Service are developed from imagery acquired through various national and regional image acquisition programs. The resulting orthoimages can be directly applied in remote sensing, GIS and mapping applications. They serve a variety of purposes, from interim maps to references for earth science investigations and analysis. Because of the orthographic property, an orthoimage can be used like a map for measurement of distances, angles, and areas with scale being constant everywhere. Also, they can be used as map layers in GIS or other computer-based manipulation, overlaying, and analysis. An orthoimage differs from a map in a manner of depiction of detail; on a map only selected detail is shown by conventional symbols, whereas on an orthoimage all details appear just as in original aerial or satellite imagery.