Uppmáting og kortlegging í Føroyum fyrr og nú

Stein Fossá frá Umhvørvisstovuni helt í farnu viku fyrilestur í Kongshøll um uppmáting og kortlegging fyrr og nú

Stein Fossá of Umhvørvisstovan gave a public lecture at the University of the Faroe Islands on the 11 December 2018.  The lecture focused on surveying and mapping on the Faroe Islands, the past, current and future.  The talk gave an interesting insight into the history of the mapping, starting in 1539 by Olavus Magnus, then a succession of maps created between 1592 and 1806.  The commander of Skansin created a detailed map between 1790 and 1795, using triangulation and plane tabling, resulting in 8 maps of scale 1:60,000.

Between 1895 and 1899 the Faroe Islands was extensively surveyed by the Danish military, and a triangulation network established.  The main baseline, some 281m in length, was located on the old Landavegur close to the SEV building.  Triangulation pillars still exist around the country from this survey.  A variety of examples of all these maps were shown, as well as those created 1895-1899, 1:20,000 scale, 1941-1943, 1:20,000 scale, 1983-1998, 1:20,000 scale.  The use of modern technologies was discussed, including the use of aerial photography, initially through using specialised photogrammetry cameras mounted within light aircraft, and today using small remote controlled drones using small digital cameras.

Today’s surveying uses a variety of technologies, whether these are terrestrial surveying, aerial photographs, satellite images and GPS to name a few of these.  Various products are available, including 3D models, infrared information, cadastral information. 

This talk is very timely, as the Farese Parliament voted the day before the talk to take over the administration and ownership of the surveying, mapping and geodesy of the Faroe Islands from the Danish authorities. 

The University of the Faroe Islands is also establishing a centre to support these and other surveying and geodetic activities on the Faroe Islands.

A link to Stein’s talk can be found here.