Mapping project updates

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My opportunistic mapping project has been on a bit of a hiatus throughout the past year due to ongoing issues with computer hardware and lack of access to a drone… fortunately both have been resolved recently, and I went out for a brief test flight on a tour a few days ago. Due to time constraints on that tour, the captured area is a bit smaller and more fragmented than my usual flights.

It turns out the glacier has experienced a quite dramatic change, which is clearly evident when comparing the current map to the one I made in February 2022.

February 2022 on the left — May 2024 on the right

As always, you can check out all the maps at https://maps.stepman.is/treasure/ .

New Map!

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I am having some technical difficulties with my drone which in addition to the COVID situation has been delaying my mapping project in the past months. On the last flight, the camera white balance unexpectedly changed during a battery swap leading to blue tint for half of the map which I only detected after completion of the flight. I did not have sufficient spare batteries to repeat the flight, so I accepted that it is what it is.

But in more positive news, I created a new WordPress plugin that allows me to directly embed my maps (without the comparison feature, which is the main reason to head on over to the main project site).

New map!

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Following up on my recent update on the mapping project, I did actually find good flying conditions just a few days later and decided to give it a try with just two batteries. To make it work, I reduced the map coverage a bit and flew at a slightly higher altitude than normal (110m instead of 80m). This required fewer passes and thus less flight time, and was barely doable with two batteries. Not perfect, but still a success!

As always, the interactive maps are online at https://map.hafjall.is/ .

© 2019 stephan mantler / Háfjall ehf.

Update on the mapping project

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Some may have noticed that my glacier mapping project has been on a bit of a hiatus. The reason is a combination of lack of opportunity and technical difficulties.

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