Some people seem to have a built-in GPS, while others find themselves getting lost time and again. Research shows that many directional cues are in our genes.
“The Shallow Radar instrument on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has detected widespread deposits of glacial ice in the mid-latitudes of Mars. The ice, up to 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) thick, is found adjacent to steep cliffs and hillsides, where rocky debris from slopes covers and protects the ice from sublimation into the atmosphere.” Quoted from the NASA press release.
Three new GPS satellites are being launched to provide better locational support for troops in Afghanistan. The current constellation of satellites does not provide suitable coverage for troops in the rugged landscape of that area.
The State of Michigan has an agreement with Microsoft to acquire 12″ resolution aerial images for a significant portion of the state and incorporate those images in the Bing Maps for Enterprise system. Those images can then be used by the State in closed and public-access applications.
After Mount Nyamulagira erupted on January 2, 2010, people in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been concerned that the neighboring Nyiragongo volcano might erupt as well. Satellites have been monitoring the volcanoes, and have provided valuable information about lava flows, ground deformation and activity levels.
In the past few decades, many suburbs in the southwestern U.S. have expanded significantly. This has resulted in “boomburbs” like Chandler, AZ, which is shown in these satellite images from 1989 and 2009.
The topography of Haiti’s Port-au-Prince Bay area belies the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault lying beneath. This topographic map shows faults and earthquake epicenters near the bay.
Images from a number of satellites are being used to create maps for relief efforts in Haiti. Comparing current and archived satellite images helps rescue teams quickly identify areas that have suffered the most intense earthquake damage. The images can also be used to plan the safest and fastest delivery routes for incoming workers and supplies. This article discusses how satellite image maps are valuable for natural disaster aid.
This article tells about a couple who followed the “shortest” route recommendation of their GPS and got stuck in the snow for three days in a remote area.
GPS is a great tool for people who already know how to read a map. If you are not very good at reading a map, or follow the device blindly, your risks are about the same as not paying close attention to a paper map.
A Google map of tsunami evacuation zones for the Oregon coast allows anyone to determine if they live or work in an area where special actions should be taken in the event of a strong earthquake. The website also provides tsunami safety advice for people who are in boats or buildings when a tsunami might occur. The map was a joint effort of the Oregon Department of Geology & Mineral Industries, Oregon Emergency Management and NOAA.
The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries has published an interactive map that lets you view information on the location, temperature, and other features of thermal springs, wells and direct-use areas.
NOAA has a new ship for seafloor mapping. It has a twin-hull design that is more stable than a mono-hull and particularly suited to mapping the ocean floor — it minimizes the rocking motion caused by wave action.
The interactive Climate Wizard allows users to view maps that show a changing climate of the past and future, on a regional or global scale. 16 climate models were used to give the program a wide range of data.
“US Topo” is the next generation of topographic maps from the U.S. Geological Survey. Digital US Topo maps are designed to look, feel, and perform like the traditional paper topographic maps for which the USGS is so well known. However, in contrast to paper-based maps, US Topo maps provide technical advantages that support faster, wider public distribution and enable basic, on-screen geographic analysis for all users. Quoted from the USGS press release.
OpenGeoscience is a free service that provides access to geologic maps, photos, data, reports and much more. Check it out at the British Geological Survey website or get a summary in the video below.
“A spring heat wave scorched southeastern Australia in mid-November 2009, pushing the fire danger to the “catastrophic” category in parts of South Australia and New South Wales and to “extreme” in other surrounding areas. Many cities, including Melbourne and Adelaide experienced record-breaking temperatures that continued for many days.” Quoted from the Earth Observatory image release.
More than 50 AZGS publications and maps on geothermal energy in Arizona are now online and can be read or freely downloaded. The publications represent more than 30 years of studies and investigation by AZGS geologists and other contributors and collaborators.
The Arizona Geological Survey reports that October was a record month for website downloads. They had a total of 12,584 documents downloaded from their website with their gold bulletins being the most popular.
Any geological survey that is not moving strongly to website downloads is not getting their word out. If they are still spending a few hundred thousand dollars on projects and then blocking distribution by charging for paper documents they need to look at the AZGS model for sharing information.
This video has some behind-the-scenes information about the making of Google Mars and Google Moon. Two of the creators talk about what went into the programs.
What landmarks can be used when traveling in space? The GPS reference satellite constellation uses a map of quasars to determine their location. That same map can guide spacecraft and be used to aim telescopes.
A diverse set of historical maps, reports, letters, and photos on mining in Arizona from the Arizona Geological Survey archives is now available online in the new “Arizona Mines” section of the Arizona Memory Project.
A new edition of “Survey Notes” has been released by the Utah Geological Survey. The focus of this issue is “Geologic Hazards”. Articles feature geologic hazards mapping, landslide inventory mapping, rock falls and lots more.
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Hobart King
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