GIS in Education

TerraGo Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of geospatial collaboration software solutions, achieved its strongest performance to date in 2010 - a year marked by double-digit growth in sales and revenue, customer and partnership expansion, new product innovation, and increased global recognition as the provider of choice for software that takes geospatial intelligence to the edge of the enterprise and back.

TerraGo grew its customer base to 250 federal government agencies, signed on its 900th TerraGo GeoPDF production customer, and surpassed its goal of 10,000 organizations using the TerraGo Toolbar™. TerraGo also achieved significant milestones with key strategic partners and new product enhancements, including the addition of 3D GeoPDF and "internationalized" language capabilities to its product portfolio. And, the company continued hiring leading industry talent, more than doubling its engineering staff.

"Overall 2010 was a year of significant growth and expansion for TerraGo," said Rick Cobb, president and CEO of TerraGo Technologies. "Plus we achieved break-even performance, and from an emerging technology company perspective, that's a milestone we're quite proud of. In addition, we forged some tremendous new partnerships around self-service GeoPDF map book creation and distribution, as well as dynamic field data collection and sharing."

In 2010, TerraGo and Hitachi formed a strategic partnership under which Hitachi became a development partner and master distributor of TerraGo software in Asia, as well as a strategic investor in the company. TerraGo also joined the new Esri Partner Network as a Gold Tier partner. This new level of partnership has allowed TerraGo to enhance sales, marketing, and development efforts shared by the two companies.

TerraGo has also been working closely with Adobe over the past several months to provide an upgrade path for Acrobat 9 Pro Extended customers who need to continue to author geospatial PDF files and perform advanced geospatial functions. Additionally, Adobe and TerraGo signed an agreement under which TerraGo is providing software engineering services in support of geospatial PDF consumption in Acrobat X and Reader X.

2010 was also a milestone year for TerraGo in that the company marked its fifth anniversary of its founding, as well as celebrated the one-year anniversary of being awarded a U.S. patent (#7,562,289) for methods and systems for encoding geographic coordinates and features in portable document format files.

"Over the past year we've witnessed a concerted effort to truly liberate enterprise-class geospatial data, with the geospatial market fully embracing the idea of empowering their mobile workers with more timely, relevant geospatial information," added Cobb. "If you can't put geospatial information to work, it never becomes real, actionable intelligence and organizations fail to fully realize the return on their geospatial investments."

For more information on TerraGo GeoPDF solutions, please contact sales(at)terragotech(dot)com or visit http://www.terragotech.com.

Verizon Wireless today announced VZ Navigator VX – the latest version of the company’s award-winning navigation service – is now available on select DROID smartphones, including DROID X by Motorola, DROID Incredible by HTC and the Samsung Fascinate. Powered by TeleCommunication Systems, VZ Navigator VX is unlike any other navigation service offered today, providing customers with 3D navigation views using enhanced 3D city models and true-to-life images of highway and exit signs.

An evolution of ordinary direction services, the 3D capabilities of VZ Navigator VX are available in six cities at launch, including: Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Mo., New York, and Washington D.C., with more cities being added in 2011. The 3D city and road views add dimension to the turn-by-turn directions VZ Navigator VX offers. Other enhancements in the newest version include “real” signs and road views, satellite maps and day/night modes among other features.

VZ Navigator VX builds on existing location-based technology, including an easy-to-use interface, improved functionality for finding points of interest, the ability to run multiple VZ Navigator functions simultaneously within a navigation session and integration with Facebook.

Customers can download VZ Navigator VX from the Android Market. It is available for $9.99 a month for unlimited access, $4.99 for a weekly usage or $2.99 for a one-day/24-hour use. VZ Navigator VX is available initially on DROID X by Motorola, the Samsung Fascinate and the DROID Incredible by HTC with additional devices rolling out in 2011. Unlike traditional navigation devices that require annual upgrades to remain accurate, the monthly charge includes continuous updates to maps and points of interest. Download charges vary and airtime or megabyte charges may apply when browsing, downloading and using certain applications.

Making Room for a Planet of Cities (Policy Focus Report)

Author(s): Angel, Shlomo, with Jason Parent, Daniel L. Civco, and Alejandro M. Blei
Publication Date: January 2011

Abstract:
In a rapidly urbanizing world -- over half the world’s population lives in urban areas, including many millions in informal settlement -- the large cities of the developing world in particular are expanding. Yet there is little in the way of planning and preparation for this explosive growth in urban population. Making Room for a Planet of Cities is a comprehensive and original analysis of the quantitative dimensions of past, present, and future global urban land cover, culminating in a proposed new paradigm for preparing for explosive growth in cities the world over. Carefully selected metrics measured in four new data sets with ArcGIS software provide a comprehensive and consistent global and historical perspective on urban expansion. These data sets are:

1. The built-up areas of a global sample of 120 cities with 100,000 people or more, 1990 and 2000, based on satellite images;
2. Historic population density data in digital images for 20 U. S. cities, 1910–2000, based on census tracts;
3. Built-up areas of a representative global sample of 30 cities, 1800–2000, from the set of 120 cities based on historic maps; and
4. Urban land cover areas of the universe of 3,646 cities that had populations of 100,000 or more in 2000, based on satellite images.

The key findings show that on average, densities in developing countries are double those in Europe and Japan, and densities in Europe and Japan are double those of the United States, Canada, and Australia; and that on average, the annual growth rate of urban land cover was twice that of the urban population between 1990 and 2000. Most of the cities studied expanded their built-up area more than 16-fold in the twentieth century. At present rates of density decline, the world’s urban population is expected to double in 43 years, while urban land cover will double in only 19 years. The urban population of the developing countries is expected to double between 2000 and 2030 while the built-up area of their cities can be expected to triple.

The research suggests that preparation for the sustainable growth of cities in rapidly urbanizing countries should be grounded in four key components: the realistic projections of urban land needs; generous metropolitan limits; selective protection of open space; and an arterial grid of roads spaced one kilometer apart that can support transit.

Making Room for a Planet of Cities provides both the conceptual framework and, for the first time, the basic empirical data and quantitative dimensions of past, present, and future urban expansion in cities around the world that are necessary for making minimal preparations for the massive urban growth expected in the coming decades.

The data in Making Room for a Planet of Cities will be made available on the Lincoln Institute Web site in an accompanying subcenter, The Atlas of Urban Expansion, in the Databases section of Resources & Tools.

Free download Making Room for a Planet of Cities (6.09 MB).

Today, January 28, 2011, we remembered the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster that killed seven astronauts on air. It has been 25 years since the NASA space shuttle Challenger exploded seconds after takeoff.

The explosion was broadcast live on TV on Jan. 28, 1986. It was the world's first high-tech catastrophe to unfold on live TV.

NASA is scheduling events today in remembrance of those who perished.

Video:

Check this out -- a real-time world map of disasters and accidents. The website tool updates you of floods, mass death of animals, earthquakes, forest fires, volcanoes, airplane accidents, active tropical storm system, terror attacks, earth approaching objects, etc.

RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service
RSOE is committed to give rise to the information society therefore it does its best to make the technological innovations widespread public. It safeguards and fears for the natural and built environment, and in order to protect it RSOE uses the most modern technologies, the help of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and the geographic information system (GIS), especially in the field of inland navigation and disaster management. The Association also through its proposals and projects supports the European integration and cohesion, in terms of the principles of regionality, partnership and transparency. RSOE develops and keeps a wide spectrum of European and international relations, presenting the Hungarian innovation.

International Journal of Geoinformatics - Special Issue on Global Navigation and Satellite System (GNSS) is to be published in September 2011.

Call for Papers and Articles:

International Journal of Geoinformatics will publish a special issue on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) in September 2011. All the experts, academicians, and researchers working in the field of Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou, IRNSS and their applications are invited to submit the paper and articles for publication. All the submissions will be reviewed by a panel of Editors and published if accepted.

GNSS activities have gained impetus in past five years due to the phenomenon success of NAVSTAR GPS. Now, GPS has become part of daily lives and has even become necessary in mobile phones and vehicles. To keep positioning and location based services go on with higher accuracy and reliability several new systems are being launched and tremendous research work is going on in many renowned centers and institutions. This special issue aims at compiling some of these outputs for the benefit of all researchers as a reference material.

All the papers should be prepared based on “Author Information” of International Journal of Geoinformatics. Please visit the website for more information http://www.j-geoinfo.net

Please submit your paper to nitingis@gmail.com by May 30, 2011.

Please feel free to contact for any clarification and become part of this special issue.

Dr. Nitin Kumar Tripathi
President, Association for GeoInformation Technology (AgIT)
Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Geoinformatics
Director, UNIGIS Centre, AIT
Coordinator, Remote Sensing and GIS
Asian Institute of Technology
P.O. Box:44, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
Phone: +66-81751 8384 (Mobile), +66-2-524 6392 (Office), Fax: +66-2-524 5597
E-mail: nitingis@gmail.com

If you’re a keen tramper, angler, hunter, or other outdoor pursuit enthusiast you’re likely to already be familiar with the official LINZ ‘NZTopo’ Topographic Map Series, traditionally purchased as printed paper maps. These topo maps have now been made even easier to use and access through the free online service www.topomap.co.nz.

Merging the official LINZ topo maps with the Google Maps interface everyone knows and loves makes this service a breeze to use and an invaluable tool for research or planning that next big adventure. It provides a level of detail simply not available through Google Maps alone. Both the Topo250 and Topo50 map series are made available for New Zealand, Stuart Island and the Chatham Islands.

Place name searching allows hard-to-find streams, peaks, huts, and other land features to be tracked down easily. Want to share a location with a friend? Add a pin and label to the map, then send them the link – it’s that easy. Want to provide detailed information about a trip? More advanced users can add their own KML overlay they’ve created in Google Earth. You can even embed mini topo maps in your own website or blog using the service.

For access to topo maps while on-the-road a mobile version of the service is available for iPhones, Android devices and other smartphones. If available, the devices built-in GPS capabilities can be used by the service to pin-point your current location on the map – handy if you’re a little lost!

The chief executive of one of Germany's leading space companies has lost his job because of the Wikileaks saga.

OHB-System's Berry Smutny was reported in a cable to have told US diplomats that Europe's Galileo satellite-navigation project was a "stupid idea".

Bremen-based OHB-System is part of the consortium that will build Galileo's first 14 operational spacecraft.

Although Mr Smutny has denied the cable's contents, OHB's board has decided to remove him from his post.

A company spokesman told BBC News that Mr Smutny had left OHB-System with immediate effect.

A statement from OHB-System on Monday said its supervisory board had "passed a unanimous resolution to revoke Mr Smutny's appointment", adding that it "disapproves these conversations and the quotes attributed to Mr Smutny".

The CEO of OHB-System AG, Berry Smutny, has been suspended with immediate effect. After the General Assembly of OHB-System has voted to remove the confidence, the Supervisory Board passed a unanimous resolution to revoke Mr. Smutny’s appointment to the position of CEO of the company. This was in response to the fact that over the past few weeks the Norwegian daily “Aftenposten” had repeatedly published and commented on documents recording the contents of a conversation between Mr. Smutny and diplomats at the US embassy in Berlin. The Supervisory Board disapproves these conversations and the quotes attributed to Mr. Smutny.

The General Assembly and the Supervisory Board saw no alternative to this decision in order to effectively avert any further damage to the company on the part of customers, political representatives and the public at large. Marco R. Fuchs, the CEO of the parent company OHB Technology AG, will additionally be assuming the position of CEO of OHB-System AG until further notice and will share the duties of Mr. Smutny with the Members of the Management Board, Dr. Fritz Merkle and Frank Negretti.

On behalf of the Company, the Supervisory Board thanked Mr. Smutny for the work that he had performed over the past 18 months, particularly stressing the fact that last year had been the most successful in the company’s history.

Contact for media representatives:

Steffen Leuthold
Corporate Communications Manager
Press spokesman

China has made enormous progress in space science and is likely to take a leading role in some areas of space research in the future, said a French scientist via China Daily.

The Solar Polar Orbit Radio Telescope (SPORT) project is a good example of the changes in China's leadership in space science cooperation, Prof. Roger M. Bonnet, Executive Director of the Switzerland-based International Space Science Institute (ISSI), said in an interview with Xinhua.

The SPORT project was first proposed by Chinese scientists with the Center for Space Science and Applied Research (CSSAR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2005.

Bonnet said scientists from the United States, Japan, Russia and Europe had participated in the preliminary research and discussion for the SPORT proposal.

According to Wu Ji, Chief Director of CSSAR, the SPORT project will launch a satellite loaded with remote-sensing equipment to observe solar winds from the polar orbit of the sun.

This could be the world's first exploration to observe solar winds from above, instead of the previous practices to observe amid the ecliptic plane where most of the erupted solar corona materials are distributed.

The remote-sensing equipment could collect information about not only the ecliptic plane, but also the images of and around the coronal mass ejections (CMEs), thus offering researchers a more comprehensive view on the distribution of solar winds, Wu said.

Moreover, the Chinese-designed remote-sensing equipment could offer images with better definitions.

"We are still doing preliminary research for the project, and we expect that the satellite could be launched before 2020," Wu said.

Bonnet said China's successfully holding the 36th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) of the International Council for Science in 2006 was another landmark of China's progress in space science.

The Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) released an updated report on flooding & landslides in the country. According to the report "The northeast monsoon (Amihan) that prevailed over Northern and Central Luzon and the tail-end of a cold front affecting Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao which started last December 29, 2010, triggered the occurrence of moderate to heavy rains and subsequent floodings and series of landslide incidents from January 1 - 21, 2011 affecting Regions, IV-A, IV-B, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, CARAGA and ARMM."

The total number of population affected is 377,944 families / 1,876,510 persons in
2,115 barangays of 181 municipalities and 17 cities of 25 provinces in Regions IV-B,
V, VI, VII, VIII, X, XI, XII, CARAGA and ARMM.

Read the complete report here [pdf].

On Tuesday, the Chinese State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping launched the final version of China's official online mapping service - Map World - after a trial version started operating in late October, People Daily reported.

Map World has updated the Chinese part of its mapping information according to the latest satellite pictures taken in late 2010, adding more than 2 million items of geospatial data covering roads at least 30,000 kilometers long, according to the latest statistics from the bureau.

It has also added English translations to the test version due to request from users.

Since the trial of Map World began in late October, more than 30 million users from at least 210 countries have visited the site, www.tianditu.cn, Min Yiren, deputy director of the bureau, said on Tuesday.

Global geographic data is accessible at the site, Min said, adding that the data on China was "particularly detailed", covering towns and villages in China's extensive rural areas.

Map World has 11 million place names in it. Among them are some 120,000 points of interests such as hotels, restaurants, retail businesses, government institutions, banks and roads.

Min said there is no charge for using Map World's basic services, but services designed for corporate users will come with fees.

The map is available at www.tianditu.cn or www.chinaonmap.cn.

A new online tool that will arm company executives and site selectors with comprehensive information for making business expansion decisions in Minnesota was unveiled today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and GIS Planning Inc.

The MNPROspector one-stop system provides users with commercial real estate data, demographic breakdowns, community details, lists of buildings available for sale or lease, and information on the local workforce, including education and skills.

The tool, jointly implemented by DEED and the Minnesota Commercial Association of Realtors (MnCAR), will replace MNPRO, an earlier site selection system that was not as comprehensive as MNPROspector.com. San Francisco-based GIS Planning created the software that powers the new system.

"MNPROspector.com is an essential tool for businesses researching where they want to locate or expand," said Paul A. Moe, acting commissioner at DEED. "This tool will give us an edge over other states by making valuable information available to businesses considering moving here or to existing Minnesota businesses scouting for expansion opportunities within the state."

MNPROspector.com covers every Minnesota city and all 87 of the state's counties.

The Geographic Information System (GIS)-powered website is built upon Google Maps technology, offering state-of-the-art site selection mapping capabilities. The new website is also integrated with GIS Planning's national site selection search engine which allows visitors to conduct national searches of cities and commercial properties that match their unique criteria.

The system explains and quantifies how properties differ by offering images and details about what surrounds them, including the labor force, complementary businesses, geographic access and more.

There is a new Google Maps widget that has been added for accessing map types, layers and recently viewed searches. The widget will improve your experience in exploring and navigating the places you want to go.


From Google LatLong blog:

Suppose you’re planning to meet your friend for a concert at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, and you want driving directions to plan your trip from your apartment in San Francisco. When accessing Google Maps, you’ll see a new widget in the upper right corner that allows you to easily select from either the Maps, satellite or Earth view. In addition, the single widget icon showcases all the different layers available to you, enabling you to quickly see more detailed information just by mousing over the ones you want.

ERDAS announces the launch of the 11 World Tour in the Asia Pacific region, hosting a customer event with over 400 participants in Hyderabad, India. As a corporate sponsor of the Geospatial World Forum, ERDAS hosted this event on January 17. The conference is being held January 18-21, 2011 at the Hyderabad Convention Centre.

On the exhibition floor, ERDAS is sharing a large booth with Intergraph and Elcome Technologies. ERDAS is showcasing the newly released ERDAS® 2011 Software, including ERDAS IMAGINE®, LPS, ERDAS APOLLO, ERDAS Extensions for ArcGIS® and other leading desktop and server products. Portfolio-wide changes for ERDAS 2011 include the ability to localize ERDAS products for a global audience, integrated support for Bing™ Maps base imagery and map data, distributed processing throughout the desktop offerings, and a new product, ERDAS Engine. ERDAS Engine is a simple, cost-effective solution that boosts processing power for ERDAS IMAGINE and LPS, leveraging existing hardware resources for increased production needs or situations requiring faster production output.

At the ERDAS 11 World Tour event, featured presenters included Lt. General N.B. Singh VSM, DGIS, Director General of Information Systems, Joel Campbell, President, ERDAS, Peter Russell-Smith, SVP, Asia Pacific, Intergraph, Dr. P. Diwakar, Associate Director, EOS, Indian Space Research Organization and Dr. Kumar Navulur, Principle Scientist, DigitalGlobe. The 11 World Tour events are taking place in key cities worldwide, offering users an opportunity to experience the new ERDAS 2011 Software Release and engage with ERDAS management, business partners and other users. ERDAS and DigitalGlobe will co-host the next world tour event in Alexandria, Virginia on January 26, 2011.

“ERDAS welcomes the opportunity to engage the local user community on a more personal level,” said Kaushik Chakraborty, Vice President, Asia Pacific, ERDAS. “These events foster greater understanding from our users, enabling ERDAS to develop products that not only meet, but exceed customer requests and requirements.“

For more information about ERDAS or its products and services, please call +1 770 776 3400, toll free +1 877 GO ERDAS, or visit www.erdas.com.

ERDAS proudly announces the official release of LPS 2011, now available for download on the ERDAS website.

LPS is a powerful, workflow-oriented photogrammetry system for production mapping, including full analytical triangulation, the generation of digital terrain models, orthophoto production, mosaicking, and 3D feature extraction.

It supports panchromatic, color and multispectral imagery with up to 16 bits per band and hundreds of different coordinate systems and map projections. LPS increases accuracy through state-of-the-art photogrammetric and image processing algorithms for automatic point measurement, triangulation, automatic terrain extraction and subpixel point positioning. Accuracy reports, built-in data quality checks, and editing tools make it easy to maintain unwavering levels of quality.

A key theme for LPS 2011 is the optimization of productivity and efficiency. Many of these gains are accomplished through distributed processing, which enables users to leverage multi-core CPUs and multiple networked servers to increase production throughput and accelerate processes like ortho generation. LPS 2011 combines its existing batch processing capabilities with Condor (third-party software available for free download) to harness the power of several networked computers for high throughput ortho generation.

LPS eATE is an add-on module for LPS that derives dense point clouds from stereo imagery. For this release, LPS eATE adds the ability to distribute the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) merging process to the existing ability to distribute terrain extraction, further reducing overall processing time.

LPS 2011 also provides gains in efficiency. Users can now generate orthophotos for an area of interest defined by a shapefile or AOI, excluding unnecessary pixels from processing and reducing the time and resources required for the ortho production process. Additionally, the Stereo Point Measurement (SPM) Tool now supports the use of multiple orthophotos (base maps) as a horizontal reference source of ground control points. Orthophotos are conveniently shown in the image list based on the degree of overlap with the master image and users can easily identify reference points in stereo and mono modes.

“LPS has always been a powerful application, offering professional photogrammetrists a wide variety of tools and options for generating accurate products. As production mapping shops face higher demand, they in turn demanded a product that would allow them to produce more, efficiently, cost-effectively, and with the same high standard of accuracy they’ve come to expect from ERDAS. LPS 2011 delivers all that and more,” said Steve du Plessis, Photogrammetry Product Line Director, ERDAS.

For a more detailed list of What’s New or to register for an informative webinar showcasing new features, please visit www.erdas.com.

Press release provided by USGS: For emergency planning purposes, scientists unveiled a hypothetical California scenario that describes a storm that could produce up to 10 feet of rain, cause extensive flooding (in many cases overwhelming the state’s flood-protection system) and result in more than $300 billion in damage.

The "ARkStorm Scenario," prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey and eleased at the ARkStorm Summit in Sacramento on Jan. 13 – 14, combines prehistoric geologic flood history in California with modern flood mapping and climate-change projections to produce a hypothetical, but plausible, scenario aimed at preparing the emergency response community for this type of hazard.

The USGS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the California Emergency Management Agency convened the two-day summit to engage stakeholders from across California to take action as a result of the scenario's findings, which were developed over the last two years by more than 100 scientists and experts.

"The ARkStorm scenario is a complete picture of what that storm would do to the social and economic systems of California," said Lucy Jones, chief scientist of the USGS Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project and architect of ARkStorm. "We think this event happens once every 100 or 200 years or so, which puts it in the same category as our big San Andreas earthquakes. The ARkStorm is essentially two historic storms (January 1969 and February 1986) put back to back in a scientifically plausible way. The model is not an extremely extreme event."

Jones noted that the largest damages would come from flooding — the models estimate that almost one-fourth of the houses in California would experience some flood damage from this storm.

"The time to begin taking action is now, before a devastating natural hazard event occurs," said USGS Director, Marcia McNutt. "This scenario demonstrates firsthand how science can be the foundation to help build safer communities. The ARkStorm scenario is a scientifically vetted tool that emergency responders, elected officials and the general public can use to plan for a major catastrophic event to help prevent a hazard from becoming a disaster."

To define impacts of the ARkStorm, the USGS, in partnership with the California Geological Survey, created the first statewide landslide susceptibility maps for California that are the most detailed landslide susceptibility maps ever created. The project also resulted in the first physics-based coastal storm modeling system for analyzing severe storm impacts (predicting wave height and coastal erosion) under present-day scenarios and under various climate-change and sea-level-rise scenarios.

Because the scenario raised serious questions about existing national, state and local disaster policy and emergency management systems, ARkStorm became the theme of the 2010 Extreme Precipitation Symposium at U.C. Davis John Muir Institute of the Environment, attracting over 200 leaders in meteorology and flood management. ARkStorm is part of the efforts to create a National Real-Time Flood Mapping initiative to improve flood management nationwide. ARkStorm also provided a platform for emergency managers, meteorologists and hydrologists to work together to develop a scaling system for west coast storms.

"Cal EMA is proud to partner with the USGS in this important work to protect California from disasters," said Cal EMA Acting Secretary Mike Dayton. "In order to have the most efficient and effective plans and response capabilities, we have to have the proper science to base it on. Californians are better protected because of the scientific efforts of the United States Geological Survey."

According to FEMA Region IX Director, Nancy Ward, "The ARkStorm report will prove to be another invaluable tool in engaging the whole of our community in addressing flood emergencies in California. It is entirely possible that flood control infrastructure and mitigation efforts could be overwhelmed by the USGS ARkStorm scenario, and the report suggests ways forward to limit the damage that is sure to result."

The two-day summit included professional flood managers, emergency mangers, first responders, business continuity managers, forecasters, hydrologists and decision makers. Many of the scientists responsible for coordinating the ARkStorm scenario presented the science behind the scenario, including meteorology, forecasting, flood modeling, landslides and physical and economic impacts.

The ARkStorm Scenario is the second scenario from the USGS Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project led by Jones, which earlier created the ShakeOut earthquake scenario. More information about the ARkStorm Summit is online. The ARkStorm Scenario, USGS Open-File Report 2010-1312, is also online.

Starting today, Esri software users can sign up to take the Esri Technical Certification Program examinations.

The program recognizes people skilled in desktop, developer, and enterprise use of Esri technology. Certifications are currently being offered for

* ArcGIS Desktop Associate
* ArcGIS Desktop Professional
* Web Application Developer Associate
* Enterprise Geodatabase Management Associate
* Enterprise Administration Associate

Eight more certifications will be added to the program later this year and into 2012.

To learn more or register for a certification examination, visit esri.com/certification. Exams are offered in English and are available at 5,000 locations in 165 countries.

Title: A pseudo-waveform technique to assess forest structure using discrete lidar data
Authors: Jordan D. Muss, David J. Mladenoff, Philip A. Townsend
Remote Sensing of Environment, Pages 824-835

Research Highlights:
- Pseudo-waves derived from discrete lidar correlated strongly with tree measurements.
- Intensity-based waves and height frequency-based waves had comparable
performance.
- Fit and mean square error were comparable for wave-based and frequency-based models.

Download the PDF file here.

TeleNav GPS Navigator is available on the Android Marketplace. TeleNav GPS Navigator 6.2 is available immediately on the Android Marketplace to AT&T customers (as AT&T Navigator 2.2) using the Samsung Captivate, HTC Aria, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, or Motorola BACKFLIP devices running Android OS version 2.1 or above. The application will be available soon on additional Android devices through other wireless carriers.

TeleNav, Inc., one of the largest global wireless location-based services providers with more than 18 million paying subscribers, today launched TeleNav GPS Navigator version 6.2 for select Android devices. The latest version of TeleNav GPS Navigator is designed to deliver a faster and more reliable way to navigate, search, and view maps on a mobile device. TeleNav has added new features such as expanded Speech Recognition, Quick Search, Multiple Route Suggestions, enhanced local search content with more listings, and overall improved application speed.

For more information on TeleNav, please visit www.telenav.com.

To provide easier access to geospatial satellite products, the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) launched CropScape - a new cropland exploring service. CropScape provides data users access to a variety of new resources and information, including the 2010 cropland data layer (CDL) just released in conjunction with CropScape.

This new service offers advanced tools such as interactive visualisation, Web-based data dissemination and geospatial queries and automated data delivery to systems such as Google Earth.

“CropScape delivers data visualisation tools directly into the hands of the agricultural community without the need for specialised expertise, GIS software or high-end computers,” said Mark Harris, NASS Research and Development Division director. “This information can be used for addressing issues related to agricultural sustainability, land cover monitoring, biodiversity and extreme events such as flooding, drought and hail storm assessment.”

NASS produced the 2010 CDL using satellite image observations at 30-meter (0.22 acres per pixel) resolution and collected from the Resourcesat-1 Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) and Landsat Thematic Mapper. The collection of images was categorised using on-the-ground farm information including field location, crop type, elevation, tree canopy and urban infrastructure. All prior CDL products dating back to 1997 are also hosted by CropScape.

CropScape was developed in cooperation with the Center for Spatial Information Science and Systems at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. It is operated by NASS’s Research and Development Division and hosted and maintained by the Center for Spatial Information Science and Systems at George Mason University.

Nike and TomTom are to release a sports watch with a touchscreen display and integrated GPS, available from April 2011 onwards.

The touchscreen display is intended to make it easy for runners to check their progress en-route, while TomTom's GPS system can track and map each run.

The watch combines traditional timer features with personal bests and a nag feature to get runners pounding the ground, as well as a handy USB port that lets users upload run data to the Nike+ network for sharing and comparison.

It can also link up with a Nike+ Sensor attached to a running shoe, or a compatible heart-rate monitor for more detailed readouts.

See more on the Nike+ SportWatch GPS at http://www.nikerunning.com.

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) has a diverse honors program for recognizing members and others who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of the geophysical sciences, to the service of the community, and to the public’s understanding of science.

Both the 2011 AGU Medals and Union Awards nomination sites are currently open. If you are an AGU member, please do not miss the opportunity to nominate a colleague for the recognition of a lifetime.

* The Awards nomination submission site will close on 15 March 2011.
* The Medals nomination submission site will close on 15 March 2011.

A full list of AGU Medals and Union Awards is available on the AGU website. Nominators should review the list prior to submitting their nominations.

Visit the website for details on how to submit nominations online. You may also send queries via email to unionawards@agu.org or unionmedals@agu.org, or contact Beth Paredes at eparedes@agu.org (202) 777-7500, or Leah Bland at lbland@agu.org (202) 777-7389.

A contributor of this site, Valeriy Kovalskyy, is in Google Map Street view. It seems like Google didn't do a good job blurring the people who are included in their images. Everyone who had seen the picture could easily identify that it is Val. Anyhow, Val looks like is enjoying it and does not find it intrusive of his privacy.

For now, let's keep the image on Google map.

Here is a screenshot of our office, the GIS Center of Excellence:



One last thing, if you want to report a Street View imagery for removal or blurring, all you have to do is:

1. Locate the image in Street View
2. Click "Report a problem" in the bottom-left of the Street View image window
3. Complete the form, and click "Submit".

As an existing ArcGIS Server user and key ArcGIS API for iOS early adopter, University of Oregon's (UOregon) InfoGraphics Lab set out to provide a free, useful mobile mapping application for the university's 20,000 plus students and faculty members, according to ESRI. With support from the Department of Geography and Office of Communications, the InfoGraphics Lab built an official campus-themed iPhone application that would provide practical maps and tools for the entire University of Oregon campus.

The lab consists of graduate student developers, undergraduate cartographers, staff, and faculty who worked together to design the UOregon application using ArcGIS API for iOS. The team had previous GIS experience using Esri's Web mapping APIs and was able to build the initial iPhone prototype application in just a couple of weeks. They wanted to go beyond geocoding points on Google Maps and needed an application that could accommodate high-resolution vector overlays that would render correctly and run effectively. With ArcGIS API for iOS, the team had plenty of resources already intact, along with the ability to serve maps as a tiled image cache.

One of the team's biggest challenges was rethinking and redesigning all the existing campus maps to fit the iPhone's limited screen real estate. The InfoGraphics Lab was able to integrate search and map features contained in the ArcGIS API into its own application.

The UOregon application includes a GPS feature that shows users where they are on campus; provides point-by-point map directions showing the most accessible walking and bicycle routes and the safest routes at night; parking and transit maps; and aerial map overlays with campus images from 2008, 1947, and 1913. There is also a useful Walk Me feature that displays a route of start and end points anywhere on campus, including estimated walking time.

University of Oregon's mobile mapping technology also helps students find their classes, access campus security in the event of an emergency, locate on-campus activities, and keep up with social media. Application users can also stay up to date on UOregon news and events, view the 295-acre campus with a continuously updated feed of photos and videos, and listen to the Oregon Marching Band play the school's fight song, "Mighty Oregon."

With more than 5,000 students and faculty currently using the UOregon iPhone application, as well as positive feedback and very favorable ratings in the Apple App Store, it won't be long before other colleges and universities integrate mobile GIS mapping capabilities to create an immediate, on-the-go experience that is always available for students right at their fingertips.

For more information on the UOregon iPhone application, visit uoregon.edu/mobile.

SPIE Remote Sensing is the premier European meeting focused on the most recent developments in atmospheric and Earth surface sensing, next-generation satellites, SAR image analysis and techniques, image and signal processing, to name a few.

Abstract submissions are now being accepted in:
• Remote Sensing for Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Hydrology
• Remote Sensing of the Ocean, Sea Ice, Coastal Waters, and Large Water Regions
• Sensors, Systems, and Next-generation Satellites
• Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere
• Optics in Atmospheric Propagation and Adaptive Systems
• SAR Image Analysis, Modeling, and Techniques
• Image and Signal Processing for Remote Sensing
• Earth Resources and Environmental Remote Sensing/GIS Applications
• Lidar Technologies, Techniques, and Measurements for Atmospheric Remote Sensing
• Addressing Natural Disasters and Sustainable Resources Using Satellite Data
• High-Performance Computing in Remote Sensing
• Special Joint Session on Airborne Remote Sensing

Submit your abstracts by 21 March, 2011.

Details:
19 - 22 September 2011
Clarion Congress Hotel Prague
Prague, Czech Republic

Coming off a successful early adopter beta program, Esri recently released the ArcGIS API for the Apple iOS platform. ArcGIS API for iOS enables developers to build and deploy custom iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad applications. This API uses the powerful mapping, geocoding, geoprocessing, and editing capabilities that ArcGIS Server provides. It is designed to use Web services available from ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Online. Users can access dynamic, tiled, and image map services; overlay graphics; search for and identify features; locate addresses; collect and update data; and perform GIS analysis. Users also have the ability to embed ArcGIS maps and tasks into their line-of-business applications. The API can now be accessed from the Esri Resource Center at no cost.

What Users Can Do with the API. With the API, users can:

* Display and use maps that blend map services from ArcGIS Online and/or their ArcGIS Server.
* Execute sophisticated geoprocessing tasks and display their results.
see enlargement
* Search for and identify features.
* Create useful reports of features they've found.
* Collect locations by sketching on the map or using the GPS embedded in their iOS devices.
* Match addresses to specific locations.

To get started using ArcGIS API for iOS, visit resources.arcgis.com/content/arcgis-iphone/api.

The Philippines Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 2 (DENR-MGB) has reported that its office has already completed the geohazards mapping of four of the five municipalities of Region 2, according to the Philippine Information Agency.

In an interview with Chit Piligan, MGB Supervising Geologist, she explained that geohazards mapping involves both the identification of areas of the country that are prone or susceptible to various geologic hazards, like rain-induced landslides, floods, flash-floods, and other natural events.

Piligan said the geohazards maps of the provinces of Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela and Cagayan are now available at their office and copies of which have been given to the concerned local government units (LGUs).

“The geohazards maps of Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya were already turned over to their provincial government for dissemination to the municipalities and barangays,” the supervising geologist added.

Piligan likewise said that they also conducted Information & Education Campaigns in the Department of Education and in some LGUs.

The MGB has recommended that residents of some barangays of Nueva Vizcaya particularly in Kayapa be relocated because their barangays are landslide and flashflood-prone areas.

The geologist however stressed that they can not blame the residents if they resist to vacate the areas because of fear of losing their livelihoods.

Meanwhile, Piligan said they are presently working on the completion of the geohazard mapping in the province of Batanes.

The Geohazards Mapping is an important component of the government’s disaster management and mitigation program in order to reduce the loss of lives and properties brought by natural disasters.

It is also important for land use planning (CLUPs), land development and the emerging concern on climate-change adaptation.

NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) seeks to sponsor U.S. citizen and permanent resident graduate student researchers who show significant potential to contribute to NASA’s strategic goals and missions.

This call for graduate fellowship proposals, entitled NASA Space Technology Research Fellowships (NSTRF) – Fall 2011 Fellowship Start, solicits applications from accredited U.S. Universities on behalf of individuals pursuing or planning to pursue Master’s (e.g., M.S.) or Doctoral (e.g., Ph.D.) degrees in relevant space technology disciplines at their respective institutions. This call is open to students pursuing advanced degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The goal of NSTRF is to provide the nation with a pipeline of highly skilled engineers and technologists to improve America's technological competitiveness. NASA Space Technology Fellows will perform innovative space technology research while building the skills necessary to become future technological leaders.

Selected candidates will perform graduate student research both on their respective campuses and at NASA Centers and, in the future, also at nonprofit U.S. Research and Development (R&D) laboratories. Subsequent calls will provide a list of all labs with which NASA has negotiated agreements. In addition to his or her academic advisor, each student will be matched with a technically relevant and community engaged researcher who will serve as the student’s professional mentor. Through this experience, students will advance their STEM education, gain relevant research experience, and learn the research process.

Awards resulting from this competitive selection will be made in the form of training grants to the respective universities. If the student is planning to embark on a new degree program (e.g., M.S. or Ph.D.) at an academic institution different from his/her current academic institution, he/she is encouraged to work with faculty at the prospective university, or universities, in assembling and submitting packages to this fellowship call.

The financial and programmatic support for NSTRF will come from the NASA Office of the Chief Technologist. NSTRF has its basis with the Graduate Student Research Program in the Office of Education and will continue NASA’s rich history of supporting students via the Office of Education and the Mission Directorates. Awards are planned to coincide with the start of the 2011 academic year and are subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

Important Dates:

Proposals due- February 23, 2011 at 11:59 PM ET
Announcement of new fellowships - May 18, 2011 (target)
Fellowship acceptance deadline - May 27, 2011 (target)
Start date of fellowships - August 1, 2011 (target)

Please visit http://nspires.nasaprs.com and click "Solicitations" for more information.

The Philippine GIS Data Clearinghouse (PhilGIS) is a single-access, data-sharing portal of Philippine GIS/geospatial data – downloadable free of charge. It is a non-profit, non-governmental, public-service oriented entity whose main purpose is to promote and support the development and use of GIS/geospatial data especially for the Philippines. As such, it can enable the widespread use of GIS/geospatial data to bring about prompt, informed, and sensible decisions and help create a sustainable environment and sound local governance in the country. The site is constantly replenished with new GIS data as they become available.

PhilGIS was established in 2009 by Dr. Al Tongco, a research specialist on GIS at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, U.S.A. He’s been spreading the gospel of GIS in the Philippines and lately had conducted several GIS seminars and workshops in the country. He will continue to do so during brief stints from his regular job at the university. In the meantime, he strives to help Philippine GIS efforts online.

As a central repository of geospatial data, PhilGIS seeks to avoid duplication of data that has been developed elsewhere. Currently, PhilGIS is collecting available country-level vector and raster datasets. These are mostly culled from large global datasets developed by international agencies such as NASA and CGIAR. The resolution and scale are sufficient for regional and provincial level applications. Larger scale and higher resolution data, however, are needed for in-depth municipal and barangay-level spatial analysis.

PhilGIS, in a sense, is a collaborative effort similar to a participatory GIS. The growth of PhilGIS, therefore, largely depends upon data contributors and collaborators as well as volunteers.

Al has been involved in GIS in various capacities over the past 6 years. He had also worked in the academia for several years in different places of the Philippines. He served in the Visayas State University (Baybay, Leyte), Caraga State University (Butuan City, Mindanao), and Universidad de Zamboanga (Zamboanga City, Mindanao), as well as in PICOP Resources (Bislig, Surigao del Sur). He earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees in engineering from the University of San José Recolétos (Cebu City), University of the Philippines at Los Baños (College, Laguna), and Oklahoma State University (U.S.A.), respectively. Currently he is working on projects such as biomass energy geospatial analysis for Southwest Central Region U.S.A. and county government GIS development, as well as private GIS consulting. He is also involved in GIS training, assistance, and mentoring at OSU and McCurtain County, Oklahoma.

Visit Philippine GIS Data Clearinghouse (PhilGIS) for more info.

NASA announces the release of FY 2011 Research Announcement for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have released the FY 2011 Research Announcement for the NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Each funded NASA EPSCoR proposal is expected to establish research activities that will make significant contributions to the strategic research and technology development priorities of one or more of NASA’s four Mission Directorates—Aeronautics Research, Exploration Systems, Science, and Space Operations—, the Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT), and NASA’s ten Centers and contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities, higher education, and economic development of the proposing jurisdiction.

Public Law 102-58, passed in 1992, authorized NASA to initiate NASA EPSCoR to strengthen the research capability of jurisdictions that have not in the past participated equably in competitive aerospace research activities. The National Science Foundation (NSF) determines overall jurisdiction eligibility for NASA EPSCoR. The following NASA EPSCoR jurisdictions may respond to this NASA EPSCoR solicitation: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Jurisdictions responding to this CAN may submit up to two proposals.

This solicitation may be accessed through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) at http://nspires.nasaprs.com.

As an active volcano, Mount Erebus and the surrounding region are constantly changing. The lava lake in the Erebus main crater, as well as the ice towers and ice caves created by its volcanic gasses, change in depth, shape, and size on scales from days to years. These changes are being tracked season to season and day to day using LIDAR technology by New Mexico Tech Masters Student Laura Jones. Laura and LIDAR Guys technician Jed Frechette took me out on several days of LIDAR work, from ice caves to crater rim.

LIDAR, or LIght Detection And Ranging, is an optical remote sensing technology similar to RADAR that can be used to scan a region and create a three-dimensional computer map. Laura Jones is using an Optech Ilris 3D LIDAR system, which can achieve centimeter-scale resolution at distances of several hundred meters. That means that, even perched atop the crater rim, Laura can point her LIDAR at the Erebus lava lake (some 350 meters away) and return extremely high-resolution, high-density data.

With the scans that Laura has taken over two seasons on Erebus, she has been able to compare the data and see how the lava lake and ice towers change with time. What she has concluded is that, not only has the lava lake changed dramatically in shape, but it has actually dropped in depth by tens of meters. In addition to these observations, time series data (several scans taken in a short period of time) have allowed Laura to track the rise and fall of the lava lake that seems to happen in several minute cycles, possibly coinciding with magma convection within the lake.

[read more at Science Friday]