Technology for Underwater Heritage: Mapping World War II Sites in the Pacific

Summary

The National Park Service is investigating large scale yet highly accurate distributed models that could assist preservation activities across the Pacific.

Recent innovations regarding reality capture and computer modeling technologies specific to the marine environment, including LiDAR, SONAR and photogrammetry are providing value to heritage projects in the Pacific.

The first comprehensive survey of the USS Arizona ship and memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii since 1984 began in November of 2013 combining these technologies for the first time.

The team deployed LiDAR, SONAR and photogrammetry to create a survey grade, 3D computer model that will serve to monitor change over time.

The Arizona Memorial project and another project in Kosrae, FSM will be presented.

Integrating these site examples into a larger scale landscape model provides starting points and templates to survey, register and model individual cultural heritage sites across vast distances like the Pacific Ocean. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015   •
• Fluidity and Connectedness in the Pacific: Maritime Cultural Landscapes and Seascapes

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 86