GIS in Education

Euroconsult, the leading international research and analyst firm specializing in the satellite and space sectors, forecast today that an estimated 1,145 satellites will be built for launch during the next ten years (2011-2020), 51% more satellites than the previous decade2. These projections come from Euroconsult’s just-released “Satellites to be Built & Launched by 2020, World Market Survey.” According to the report, now in its 14th edition, revenues from the manufacture and launch of these 1,145 satellites will be worth $196 billion worldwide, of which 70% can be attributed to government demand.

“Governments continue to dominate the space market, as satellite systems are critical infrastructure for communications and geo-information solutions for civilian and military users” said Rachel Villain, Director for Space for Euroconsult and editor of the report. “The government market is worth more than double the commercial market, but is largely closed to non-domestic manufacturers. However export opportunities for manufacturers exist with governments in countries with no space industry.”

Government agencies from 50 countries will launch a total of 777 satellites in the decade ahead, though more than 80% of these satellites will come from the six major space powers ( i.e. the United States, Russia, the European countries, Japan, China, and India). Accounting for this 80% is the fact that established space countries are replacing systems that have already been operational, in addition to launching new satellites, whereas newcomers are only building and launching new systems, as they are not yet at the stage of replacing existing satellites.

Over two-thirds of the government satellites to be built for launch in the coming decade are for civilian and dual-use; dedicated military satellites remain concentrated in a limited number of countries (the US, Europe, Russia, China, Japan and Israel). Defense and security agencies generally favor proprietary systems for secure communications and imagery intelligence, but budget constraints for defense spending are leading to more public-private partnerships (PPP) and government payloads hosted on commercial satellites. An even more limited number of countries will launch space surveillance and missile defense satellite systems to be used in combination with ground networks.

Civilian government agencies are expected to procure more satellites for operational missions in Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, and communications. In most countries, communications satellites (comsat) are now primarily acquired by private companies for commercial services, but several governments continue to fund comsat technology development domestically to ensure they have cost-effective systems when needed. As more national and multilateral agencies require imagery for a variety of purposes, Euroconsult expects over 200 government Earth observation satellites to be built for launch over the decade, making it the largest civilian government satellite application. The Euroconsult report also indicates that governments will develop more missions for space science and exploration (up 30% over the previous decade), with missions varying widely in terms of complexity and cost.

In the commercial space business there are approximately 50 companies operating communications and broadcast satellites in geostationary orbit, and an additional ten companies operating satellites in lower altitude orbits for communications and Earth observation services. This market is driven primarily by established operators’ investment cycles for replacing in-orbit capacity (representing 70% of orders in the past), and to a lesser degree by new systems for newer commercial companies and governments.

Euroconsult forecasts 203 commercial communications satellites with a market value of $50 billion will be launched into the GEO arc over the next ten years. Some of these satellites were recorded in satellite manufacturers’ order books during the flurry of ordering activity over the past five years.

Commercial satellite services outside the geostationary orbit will get a boost over the next decade with a total of 165 satellites to be built and launched into medium and low Earth orbits (MEO and LEO). Three quarters will be communications satellites to replace the first LEO generation satellites (operated by Iridium, Globalstar and Orbcomm) and for O3b’s first- generation system, which will be the first commercial constellation launched into MEO. In addition, about 40 satellites will be launched into LEO for commercial optical and radar imagery (e.g. Astrium Services, GeoEye). According to Euroconsult, the market value for manufacturing and launch of these 165 satellites will be one fifth the figure for GEO comsat satellites. This is largely because they are smaller and launched at lower altitudes.

For more information visit: www.euroconsult-ec.com.

Hurricane Irene Viewed on Thursday by Space Station Cameras. Cameras mounted on the International Space Station captured new views of Hurricane Irene as it churned across the Bahamas at 3:47 p.m. EDT on August 25, 2011. Irene, which is a massive and powerful category 3 hurricane, is moving north-northwest toward a likely brush with the outer banks of North Carolina Saturday before tracking up the mid-Atlantic states and a possible path over the metropolitan New York area and New England late this weekend.

Video:

Source: NASA

The School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is seeking an Assistant or Associate Professor of Remote Sensing.

Job Details:

School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Assistant or Associate Professor of Remote Sensing. Tenure-track position beginning July, 2012. Requires Ph.D. in geography or closely related field including specific training in remote sensing/geospatial technologies and excellent oral and written communication skills. Appointment at the Associate level will require an exceptional record of achievement including both refereed publications and success in external funding of research. The successful candidate will teach courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels and conduct research focused on remote sensing and related geospatial technologies (e.g., GIS and GPS), emphasizing new and/or improved approaches for addressing critical environmental and natural resources management issues at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The successful candidate will be part of the leadership team in SNR's Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies (CALMIT).

The School of Natural Resources has strong programs in geography, water science, fish and wildlife management, applied climate science, and human dimensions of natural resources, and is home to several prominent centers including CALMIT, the National Drought Mitigation Center, and the High Plains Regional Climate Center. The successful candidate will have a record of excellence in teaching and research. We are especially interested in candidates who have expertise in one or more of the following areas: land use and land cover dynamics, landscape ecology, remote monitoring of interactions between climate and vegetation, environmental modeling, remote sensing-GIS integration.

To apply, go to http://employment.unl.edu requisition #110631 and complete the "Faculty Academic Administrative Information Form". Applicants must attach a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of research and teaching interests, and names and full contact information for at least three references. Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2011, but the position will remain open until filled.

The University of Nebraska has an active National Science Foundation ADVANCE gender equity program, and is committed to a pluralistic campus community through affirmative action, equal opportunity, work-life balance, and dual careers.

CEN/TC 287 Geographic Information 29th plenary and workshop will take place in Brussels Belgium between the 23rd-28th October 2011.

Registration is now open for the CEN/TC 287 meetings including the workshop on “GEOSS”. Project team meetings will be held on SDI reference model, SDI best practice and SDI data centric view as well as a working group meeting on SDI.

Register here.

Also, congratulations to the CEN/TC 287 winners from Ecole Centrale de Nantes, France. Dr Erwan Bocher and Antoine Gourlay were presented with their awards by Ken Harkin, Sparx Systems Development Manager at the INSPIRE opening plenary in Edinburgh. We are pleased to announce that the application pack is now available for the 2012 award.Please visit www.gistandards.eu for more information and details of how to apply.

Here are a number of popular Remote Sensing Journals with their corresponding Impact Factors (IF). Latest update on the Impact Factors is 2010. Take note, the higher the IF number, the better/popular the journal is.

Also read this: How to Compute the Journal Impact Factor

List of Remote Sensing Journals and Impact Factors:

Remote Sensing of Environment
IF(2010) - 3.951
5-Year IF (2010) - 4.605

IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing
IF(2010) - 2.470
5-Year IF (2010) - 2.995

ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
IF(2010) - 2.158
5-Year IF (2010) - 2.886

Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation
IF(2010) - 1.557
5-Year IF (2010) - 2.039

IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters
IF(2010) - 1.420
5-Year IF (2010) - 1.684

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing
IF(2010) - 0.926
5-Year IF (2010) - 1.566

International Journal of Remote Sensing
IF(2010) - 1.182
5-Year IF (2010) - 1.551

The Photogrammetric Record
IF(2010) - 0.925
5-Year IF (2010) - 1.495

Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing
IF(2010) - 0.962
5-Year IF (2010) - 1.156

The Omega Group is extremely proud to announce the release of our CrimeMapping.com Mobile application for the iPhone platform. This FREE download represents the culmination of our efforts in bringing the public a high level of data integrity and accuracy through our simple, intuitive service. Creating more self-reliance among community members is a great benefit to intelligence led policing efforts everywhere and has been proven effective in combating crime. Our CrimeMapping.com Mobile application will empower the public through helping to promote transparency and trust between the police and the communities they serve.

CrimeMapping.com Mobile allows users to map out recent crimes near their current location, home address or place of business. Users can also select the specific type of crimes they wish to see as well as subscribe to receive FREE Crime Alerts. Simply go to the iTunes store and type out “CrimeMapping.com” in order to download the application. We are constantly working to add agencies to our service. If your area is not covered we urge you to let your local public information officer know about CrimeMapping.com and CrimeMapping.com Mobile.

If you would like more information about CrimeMapping.com please contact: US toll-free (800) 228-1059, www.theomegagroup.com

A Chinese ocean observation satellite launched Monday on a Long March rocket from the Taiyuan space center in northeastern China, according to state-run media.

The Haiyang 2A satellite lifted off at 2257 GMT (6:57 p.m. EDT) from the Taiyuan launching base in Shanxi province, the state-owned Xinhua news agency reported. Launch occurred at 6:57 a.m. local time in Beijing.

The remote sensing payload flew into orbit on top of a Long March 4B rocket, which placed the satellite in a 565-mile-high orbit with an inclination of 99 degrees, according to independent tracking data.

Xinhua declared the launch a success in its reporting.

China says Haiyang 2A will aid the supervision and survey of the maritime environment, helping prevent potential disasters at sea and contributing to marine weather forecasts.

The satellite features upgrades over two earlier ocean observing craft launched by China in 2002 and 2007. Haiyang 2A will study dynamic ocean environments such as sea surface winds, wave height and water temperatures.

Its instruments include a microwave sensor, a radiometer and an altimeter.

Earlier Haiyang 1 satellites monitored ocean pollution and shallow waters to help in the operation of harbors and ports. A third generation of satellites is planned to combine the Haiyang 1 and Haiyang 2 missions.

Monday's Long March flight was the eighth space launch of the year for China's space program. The nation plans a feverish pace of space missions for the rest of 2011, including the launch of a man-rated space laboratory, the program's first orbital docking attempt, and more rocket flights with communications, military and scientific payloads.

Ukraine Parliament approved the law "On the State Land Cadastre". JULY 7, the parliament approved the law (#8077) to provide for the legal, economic and organisational framework of activities in the area of the State Land Cadastre, says report.

The State Land Cadastre represents a unified state geographic system of data on lands located within the State Border of Ukraine, their target designation, use limitations, as well as data on quantitative and qualitative valuation of lands, their value, and on distribution of lands between their owners and users.

The State Land Cadastre includes the following data on lands within the boundaries of territories of administrative and territorial units (Autonomous Republic of Crimea, oblasts, cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol, rayons, cities, towns, villages, and city rayons):

* name of the administrative and territorial unit;
* description of boundaries of the administrative and territorial unit;
* size of lands within the boundaries of the administrative and territorial unit;
* full name of adjacent administrative and territorial units;
* information on documents representing the ground for establishing or changing the boundaries of administrative and territorial units;
* information on categories of lands within the administrative and territorial unit.

The scope of information of the State Land Cadastre about the qualitative features of the lands within the territory of the administrative and territorial unit shall be established by the Procedures on Maintenance of the State Land Cadastre.

SSTL’s NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X satellites were successfully launched today at 07:12:20 UTC onboard a Dnepr rocket from Yasny in southern Russia. The highly advanced Earth observation satellites will significantly boost African capabilities for natural resource management, as well as aid disaster relief through the Disaster Monitoring Constellation.

Following confirmation of separation from the launch vehicle, ground stations in Abuja and Guildford established contact with NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X respectively and commissioning of the satellites in their 700 km sun-synchronous orbit is now progressing.

The two satellites, built under contract with the Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), will provide Nigeria with the ability to enhance food security through monthly crop monitoring, assist with burgeoning urban planning demands and, through the development of engineering skills, will advance the growth of new technologies in Nigeria.

Science Minister David Willetts said: “The completion of this significant engineering project is testament to the success of the rapidly growing UK space industry. Not only are we producing technology and services that are in global demand but we are also helping more countries use satellite imagery to tackle important issues, including urban development and disaster relief.”

NigeriaSat-2, one of the most advanced Earth observation small satellites launched, will provide high-resolution (2.5-metres) images whilst, under a 3-year training and development programme, 26 Nigerian engineers have worked alongside SSTL engineers in Guildford, assembling the accompanying 100kg NigeriaSat-X. After completion of the commissioning phase, NASRDA engineers will control both satellites from their ground station in Abuja.

SSTL’s Executive Chairman, Sir Martin Sweeting, commented: “We congratulate the Nigerian Government on the advancement of their Earth Observation capability. SSTL’s training programmes give testimony to space being a truly international endeavour. Continuing to change the economics of space, SSTL prides itself in providing highly capable and affordable spacecraft for our customers' operational needs."

NASRDA head, Dr S.O Mohammed, said: “This is a great day for the Nigerian space industry and builds on the success of NigeriaSat-1, launched in 2003. NigeriaSat-2 will significantly boost African capabilities for remote sensing applications, specifically for natural resource management. This high resolution satellite will also greatly enhance image data available to the Disaster Monitoring Constellation. Through a comprehensive training programme, Nigerian engineers have worked on the design and build of NigeriaSat-X, benefiting Nigeria’s growing space industry and inspiring development of new technologies.”

To find out more about NigeriaSat-2 and its future operations, visit:
www.sstl.co.uk/nigeriasat-2-mission-objectives

ERDAS announces that the Italian Space Agency (ASI) is using ERDAS APOLLO to manage data collected from different space missions and deliver it for public consumption via a web portal.

ASI is collaborating with the ESA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the Cassini-Huygens, Mars Express, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) missions. The Cassini-Huygens mission primarily focuses on two of Saturn’s moons, Titan and Enceladus, as well as Saturn itself. So far, the mission has found evidence of heat and organic chemicals and the possibility of liquid water on the surface of Enceladus, indicating the potential for the formation of primitive life forms. Cassini, the orbiter component of Cassini-Huygens, carries 12 instruments which have returned a daily stream of data since arriving at Saturn in 2004. Huygens, the smaller probe portion of Cassini-Huygens, landed on Titan’s surface in 2005 and returns data about Titan’s vast methane lakes and hydrocarbon sand dunes.

The primary objective of the Mars Express mission is to investigate the basic characteristics of Mars. The Mars Express orbiter will create high-resolution imagery (10 meters/pixel) of the entire Martian surface and super resolution imagery (2 meters/pixel) of selected areas. It will also produce a map of the mineral composition of the surface at 100 meter resolution, map the composition of the atmosphere and determine its global circulation, determine the structure of the sub-surface to a depth of a few kilometers, determine the effect of the atmosphere on the planetary surface, and determine how the atmosphere interacts with the solar wind. Mars Express spends a portion of its orbit facing Mars to collect data, and the other part facing the Earth to transmit data back to ground stations. Every day, the ground stations receive between 0.5 and 5 Gbits of scientific data from Mars Express.

The main objective of the MRO mission is to investigate the presence of water on Mars. Other Mars missions have shown that water existed on Mars’ surface in the past, but scientists still don’t know whether water was around long enough to foster development of life. MRO is taking close-up photographs of the Martian surface, analyzing minerals, searching for subsurface water, measuring the dust and water content of the atmosphere, and monitoring daily weather conditions.

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.

Bentley Systems, Incorporated, the leading company dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, today announced that Federal University of São Carlos and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro have joined Bentley’s Be Careers Network. Through this innovative program, students and educators gain access to the same professional-grade software and training used by the world’s leading design and engineering firms. The Be Careers Network provides a cost-effective and comprehensive software suite encompassing the full range of infrastructure disciplines, blended learning that includes technology training via online learning, professional networking via the Be Communities networking site, scholarships, and much more.

Professor Guilherme A. Parsekian, Ph.D., coordinator of Civil Engineering Course, Federal University of São Carlos, said, “The partnership between Bentley and the Federal University of São Carlos allows our teaching staff and students to have direct contact with the latest commercial software tools. I believe that the use of such important technology during students’ academic years will have a positive impact on their professional futures.”

Federal University of São Carlos and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro join the growing list of prestigious universities in Brazil that have selected Be Careers Network to help their students graduate with the technology skills needed to start careers as infrastructure professionals in the architecture, engineering, geospatial, and construction fields. Others include:

University of São Paulo
State University of Campinas
UNESP – São Paulo State University
Presbyterian University of Mackenzie
Pontifical Catholic University
Air Force Technological Institute

Scott Lofgren, Bentley global director of Be Careers Network, said, “Engineering and architecture graduates with the skills needed to improve the infrastructure of Brazil are in huge demand, especially among the many leading Brazilian organizations using Bentley software, such as Petrobras, Engevix Engenharia, SEI Engenharia, INFRAERO, and Construções e Comércio Camargo Corrêa, to name only a few. A steady influx of new infrastructure professionals is crucial to support the continued expansion of this country’s burgeoning economy through the creation of roads, bridges, power plants, water distribution systems, and other infrastructure that sustains the economy and the environment. One of Bentley’s primary goals is to help countries like Brazil meet growing demand for better-performing infrastructure by helping sustain the infrastructure professions through its Be Careers Network.”

Lofgren continued, “Recently added features of our innovative program include the ability of students to earn Bentley Learning Units for their use of Bentley products within academic courses. These Learning Units will appear on their personal Bentley Professional Training Transcripts, which they can show to prospective employers once they graduate, enhancing their job prospects. And this past year, Bentley deployed its new STUDENTserver. Already gaining widespread acceptance on campuses around the globe, this new program offering assists students as well as faculty by providing for the online delivery of the Bentley software and training available to them through the Be Careers academic subscription. At the same time, it gives them the unique opportunity to network with infrastructure professionals through Bentley’s Be Communities social networking site. Both of these new offerings are available today to the numerous university students and faculty across Brazil who are actively engaged in our Be Careers Network.”

Professor Roberto Machado Corrêa, Ph.D., Graphic Expression Department, Civil Engineering Course, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said, “This year, all of the classes on computational design at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro were taught using MicroStation, and the perceptions of the professors in the Graphic Expression Department regarding this software have been very positive. The 3D modeling is easy to use, and the overall experience led us to extend our use of the MicroStation platform to include other applications it supports.”

Landsat Science Team Symposium
August 17-18
EROS Auditorium
47914 252nd Street, Sioux Falls, SD

You are invited to a symposium on Landsat science that will be offered by the USGS-NASA Landsat Science Team. The Team is meeting at EROS from August 17-18. The Team was established in 2006 for a five year term. This is the group’s final meeting. The presentation schedule is:

Wednesday – August 17

10:00 Bob Bindschadler (NASA GSFC, Emeritus) - Keeping a sharp lookout: Landsat monitoring of Earth’s Ice

10:30 John Schott (Rochester Institute of Technology) - Land-Water Sat; New Opportunity

11:00 Prasad Thenkabail (USGS) - Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Vegetation: Knowledge gain and Knowledge gap based on last 40 years of research

11:30 Dennis Helder (South Dakota State University) - Landsat Calibration:  Interpolation, Extrapolation, and Reflection

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Eric Vermote (University of Maryland) - A Surface Reflectance product for Landsat/LDCM: summary of activities, future work and implications for similar class sensors e.g Sentinel 2

1:30 David Roy (South Dakota State University) - Web Enabled Landsat Data (WELD): Project status and some lessons learned from bulk Landsat science data processing

2:00 Feng Gao (USDA ARS) - Developing Consistent Time Series Landsat Data Products

2:30 Sam Goward (University of Maryland) - Western US Daily Cloud Statistics from MODIS

3:00 Break

3:30 Lazaros Oraiopoulos (NASA GSFC) - An overview of cloud masking and other research for Landsat and LDCM

4:00 Jennifer Dungan (NASA Ames) - Developing biophysical products for Landsat

4:30 Adjourn

Thursday, August 18

8:30 Martha Anderson (USDA ARS) - Daily ET at Landsat Scales Using Multi-Sensor Data Fusion

9:00 Rick Allen (University of Idaho) - Operational Evapotranspiration from Landsat-based Energy Balance - Evolution, Successes and Future Challenges

9:30 Eileen Helmer (USFS) - Mapping tropical forest habitat with gap-filled Landsat:  tree species and associations, foliage height profiles, age, disturbance type, and productivity of forest regrowth

10:00 Break

10:30 Jim Vogelmann (USGS) - Monitoring ecological trends using Landsat time series data: Recent results and perspectives

11:00 Randy Wynne (Virginia Tech) - Multitemporal Landsat for applied forest science

11:30 Mike Wulder (Canadian Forest Service) - Large area land cover and dynamics: Landsat opportunities and directions

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Alan Belward (EC Joint Research Centre) – Contributions to the FAO Forest Resource Assessment 2010 remote sensing survey and beyond

1:30 Warren Cohen (USFS) - The US Forest Service Embraces Landsat (2006-present): A Success Story

2:00 Robert Kennedy (Oregon State University) - A sea change on land: New insights into terrestrial processes facilitated by the open Landsat archive

2:30 Curtis Woodcock (Boston University) - Toward Continuous Monitoring of the Land Surface using Landsat
***

We may be attending the symposium and post some presentation updates on this blog. Keep posted by subscribing to our free feeds. Email subscription form is found below.

For the first time, candidates for the GeoBusiness Award 2011 will present their innovative projects at INTERGEO in Nuremberg. The ideas range from an online platform for forestry information and an iPhone app for species conservation to a portal providing information on cabling for construction projects. The award - which comes with a prize of EUR 10,000 - is presented by the GeoBusiness Commission (GIW Commission) of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology in recognition of new business models in the field of geobusiness. The GIW Commission numbers high-ranking associations from the German industrial sector among its members. As a result, the award focuses on extremely interesting business ideas or process improvements that have one thing in common - they prepare local public sector information for the market, says Olaf Freier, Managing Director of HINTE GmbH, the company responsible for organising the trade fair.

Held in Nuremberg from 27 to 29 September, INTERGEO is the perfect place for the candidates for the GeoBusiness Award 2011. At the GIW Commission stand (Stand E41 in Hall 7a), they will have an opportunity to showcase their new geoinformation ideas that have recently been launched on the market. The event gives them access to an audience of industry professionals and will also show just how tough it will be for the judges to select three finalists. The winner will receive EUR 10,000 and a comprehensive PR package. Once the panel of judges has reached its decision, the 3rd GeoBusiness Award will be presented in Berlin on 2 November. INTERGEO also offers the seven candidates an additional opportunity to present their projects. On the Wednesday of the fair, they will take to the stage in the Trend and Media Forum (TMF) at Stand A10 in Hall 6 to explain the innovative ideas behind their geoinformation products. INTERGEO supports the award's goal of promoting intelligent geobusiness ideas and raising awareness in all areas of the German business community. The world's largest conference trade fair for geodesy, geoinformation and land management is the most comprehensive product platform showcasing the industry's ideas and innovative strength.

DVW e.V. - the German Society for Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management - is the patron of INTERGEO, which is being held from 27 to 29 September 2011 in Nuremberg.

There are free ASTER satellite images, datasets, geospatial products on the orthocoverage.com website.

ORTHOCOVERAGE is a new 15 meters package (orthoimagery + DEM + ortho-anaglyphs). Available datasets in : Algeria, Bolivia, Iran, Morocco, Syria, Egypt, Madagascar, etc.

Product website : www.orthocoverage.com.

Download GIS Map Suite Windows Phone Edition - Free Trial. ThinkGeo today introduced Map Suite Windows Phone Edition, the newest entry in their family of GIS controls for .NET software developers. Built upon the powerful and successful Map Suite GIS engine, Windows Phone Edition is designed to bring interactive maps to Windows Phone 7 devices through the use of a simple Visual Studio .NET control.

Map Suite Windows Phone Edition gives .NET developers the ability to deliver a completely custom GIS solution to Windows Phone 7 handsets. It also integrates with the device's GPS and boasts full support for touch events, including pinch zooming and tapping to draw and edit shapes. WP7 apps built with Map Suite Windows Phone Edition can utilize custom map data (including consumption of WMS services), perform spatial queries, track vehicles, draw thematic maps and much more, going far beyond what's possible with the simple map services built into Windows Phone 7.

Additionally, since Map Suite Windows Phone Edition is built upon the established Map Suite core framework, developers who are already working on applications for the desktop or web using other Map Suite editions can now easily port their projects to Windows Phone 7 handsets, broadening their potential market to include the fast-growing world of mobile computing.

Map Suite Windows Phone Edition is currently available as a public beta with special introductory pricing and can be purchased online from ThinkGeo's web store. Free 60-day evaluations are also available for download from ThinkGeo's web site.

ThinkGeo is an industry leader in GIS mapping components and customizable GPS tracking solutions. The company offers a wide variety of high-quality geospatial products for software development, asset tracking and much more. They have clients from a wide base of industries ranging from agriculture to aerospace. For more information about ThinkGeo products or professional services, visit www.thinkgeo.com.

Fiji is among countries that will be the first to benefit from state-of-the art techniques that allow them to assess risks from natural disasters such as earthquakes and tropical cyclones.

These techniques provided under the joint Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative (PCRAFI) will assist the Ministry of Finance and the National Disaster Management Office in risk modelling and risk profiling, which in turn will help government draw up risk reduction measures. Under PCRAFI, our disaster management officials can access information on the disaster vulnerability of certain areas or regions, and how best to manage such risks in terms of the location and strength of buildings for example.

This ground-breaking work has just been unveiled by its architects, the Applied Geoscience and Technology Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SOPAC) working jointly with experts at the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Providing technical support were Air Worldwide, GNS Science of New Zealand and Geoscience Australia as well as the 15 participating countries of the Pacific which apart from Fiji were Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Architects of this innovative risk modelling and profiling technique had to study a huge amount of GIS data for the Pacific in their work, analysing data and information on population, land use and land cover, topography, bathymetry, soils and their engineering properties, assets including infrastructure and buildings, satellite images as well as historical catalogues and information on cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis.

The GIS database provides full coverage of the entire landmass of Fiji and the other 14 participating countries and involved intensive field visits to 11 countries to survey more than 80,000 buildings, digitising from satellite imagery the footprints of 450,000 buildings, as well as inferring from satellite imagery 2,900,000 buildings and other assets.

Dr Russell Howorth, the Director of the Applied Geoscience and Technology Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC/SOPAC) hailed the initiative as “the first quantitative assessment of risk for Pacific Islands countries in terms of money, potential loss of lives and injuries.” He believes this will provide governments and other key stakeholders such as the private sector with critical data and information needed to inform future policies, strategies and decisions in respect of “all” risk reduction measures as well as for underpinning sustainable development.

The first two phases of PCRAFI have been co-funded by the Government of Japan and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), with the second phase coming to closure in August 2011.

Its results were presented to Pacific islands countries and partners at the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management meeting in Auckland on the first week of August. PCRAFI comprises two key complementary components; disaster risk assessment and disaster risk financing solutions.

Disaster risk assessment tools seek to assist countries to improve their understanding of their exposure to natural disasters through being able to assess and model disaster risks.

The second component identifies a range of financial options for countries that could improve their capacity to access incremental financial resources in the case of natural disasters, while at the same time maintaining their fiscal balance.

The regional exposure database and the country-specific catastrophe risk models can also support multiple potential applications, both for public and private stakeholders.

Some examples include applications for urban and development planning whereby planners can use the information to evaluate changes to land use and zoning based on natural hazard risk or to develop investment plans to retrofit buildings for earthquakes or to raise floor levels for flooding due to storm surge from tropical cyclones or storms.

The risk assessment can also be used to carry out cost benefit analyses of proposed disaster prevention or mitigation investments.
In addition, the database could be used on each of the country's building codes wherein seismic hazard maps that have been produced under PCRAFI could be used to update current building codes.

In so far as communities are concerned, the risk assessment results and related visual tools can help identify vulnerable areas and communities located in or adjacent to these areas.

This would assist in informing more targeted intervention in community-based disaster risk management and climate change adaptation actions.

In the actual event of a natural disaster, the database provides extremely useful baseline data and information, for conducting timely and effective post-disaster damage assessments.

Loti Yates, the Solomon Islands Government’s Director of the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), in commenting about the utility of the database said “its potential in providing a rapid estimate of damage within hours of an extreme natural event occurring will provide Government with valuable, timely and necessary information to mount an effective response as well as recovery of the disaster.”

Aside from the suite of applications that can be generated using the risk assessment tools, PCRAFI also explores various risk financing solutions for governments and the private sector to consider.

For example, the catastrophe risk assessment tools developed under this initiative can be used by private insurers to design and price property catastrophe insurance coverage for private and public dwellings.

As well, sovereign disaster risk financing options could be investigated by Fiji and other Pacific Islands countries to see how they can increase their financial resilience against natural disasters while maintaining their fiscal balance and promoting budget planning for financing natural disasters.

“The risk financing tools developed under PCRAFI will enable countries to assess the economic and fiscal impact of natural disasters, to quantify possible budget gaps post disaster, and to design disaster risk financing strategies, including national reserves, contingent credit, as well as regional risk pooling solutions which could provide additional financial resources,” said Dr Olivier Mahul, the PCRAFI Team Leader from the World Bank.

“This in turn could serve as bridge financing while other post-disaster sources are being mobilised following a natural disaster.”
Planning for a third phase of PCRAFI is underway, with a key component being to strengthen the data-sharing platform at SPC/SOPAC in order to achieve expanded reach and allow access of PCRAFI data and information to the wider Pacific community and beyond.

The opening up of access to these data will spurn the development of other products, tools and services that would be useful for various end-users and applications.
To ensure that quality data is maintained and updated, specific capacity building support and training of national and regional personnel would be required.

It is also envisaged there will be further refinements made to the disaster risk assessment tools and its applications, including the development of a Pacific risk atlas and the implementation of country specific technical assistance projects on disaster risk assessment.

With respect to disaster risk financing and insurance solutions for the Pacific, there could among others be a disaster risk insurance pilot implemented under the third phase and this will be explored further with countries, donors and development partners.

Credit: Samisoni Pareti of Islands Business - August 2011

Australia will soon put into action the advanced tsunami warning system, operated by the Bureau of Meteorology (Bureau) and Geoscience Australia (GA).

[via] The Australian Tsunami Warning system being installed in the red dust of the Pilbara region in Western Australia will monitor earthquakes around the Indian Ocean. In particular, it will look for signs of underground ruptures along the Indonesian archipelago to the north.

Scientists say it is the first seismic array built specifically to predict both when tsunamis may occur, but also where they might strike. Information is transmitted in real time back to a tsunami-warning center in Melbourne and to Geoscience Australia in Canberra, the government’s official geological agency.

The seismic array is a network of interconnected seismographs that measure and record the force and duration of earthquakes. They are arranged in a geometric pattern to increase sensitivity to events underground.

Thirteen boreholes have been drilled over a 26-square kilometer zone. Monitoring equipment is then lowered into the ground. The system is powered by solar cells, with batteries for backup.

Professor Phil Cummins from Geoscience Australia says the system is unique. “An array is distinct from a station that has a single sensor in that it doesn't only see the incoming wave but it can also track the direction of incoming energy," he explains. "So as energy comes into the sensor it can sort of track the direction from which that energy is coming and that will let us sort of map out the rupture from some of these large earthquakes that might occur to our north or even elsewhere.”

Optech Incorporated, the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced lidar, aerial digital camera and survey instruments, announced today that de Bruin Spatial Technologies, based in Mount Gambier, South Australia, has taken delivery of Optech’s ALTM Orion M-Series airborne laser scanning system.

“We are delighted that de Bruin selected Optech’s ALTM Orion for their new airborne mapping business,” said Wayne Szameitat, Optech’s International Sales Manager. “This compact but powerful ALTM Orion with integrated digital camera represents best-of-class technology, and it will ensure that de Bruin can acquire high quality lidar data sets and digital aerial images for the broad range of applications they are targeting.”

“We are very happy with the choice of the Optech ALTM Orion lidar scanner,” explained Rick George, Business Development Manager for de Bruin Spatial Technologies. “It is capable of providing highly accurate survey data and imagery. We further extend this capability by utilizing our in-house professional analysis and interpretation services; providing critical business information across a diverse range of industries. These include wide-area land surveys, biomass and captured carbon estimation, 3D site and building modeling, tree counting and forestry management reporting. Our ability to drive the process of data acquisition, analysis and reporting puts de Bruin Spatial Technologies on top of the list for professional lidar survey and analysis services.”

AGU is committed to the recognition and reward of AGU scientists for excellence in communicating science. It is pleased to announce the newly launched AGU Climate Communication Prize! This new Union prize, generously funded by Nature's Own, will honor an AGU member-scientist for the communication of climate science. The prize highlights the importance of promoting scientific literacy, clarity of message, and efforts to foster respect and understanding of science-based values as they relate to the implications of climate change.

The prize will be awarded annually and will be presented at AGU's Fall Meeting. It will carry a cash award of $25,000.

Nominate a colleague for this achievement now! The award will raise the visibility of this critical issue facing society and the winner will serve as an inspiring role model for other AGU scientists to emulate.

Please submit your nominations here.

Nominations must be complete and received at AGU headquarters by September 30, 2011

Space-Time Insight, a provider of next-generation situational intelligence solutions, today announced the availability of new capabilities in its software to further simplify the ability of a utility or independent system operator (ISO) to assess the performance of the electric grid, and visualize, analyze and correlate large volumes of data received from multiple sources, a critical requirement in the deployment of Wide Area Situational Awareness (WASA) systems. Designed to accommodate the microsecond measurements recorded by synchrophasors, devices used to measure the state and quality of the power system, the new software arms control room operators with timely information needed to make instant decisions that impact grid stability and availability.

Synchrophasors are devices that measure voltages and currents at different locations on a power grid. By measuring and comparing the flow of electricity at multiple points on the grid at the same time, it is possible to assess the condition of the system. However, as grid operators across the globe incorporate synchrophasors into their networks to improve grid reliability, they are being challenged to consume and interpret the huge volumes of data being generated -- synchrophasors “read” the grid 30 times per second. Those readings provide visibility into potential problems which may take hours to unfold, but rapid insight into the data is critical to avert blackouts and other disaster scenarios.

Space-Time Insight’s visual analytics and geospatial software, which is in use at utilities and ISO’s around the globe, provides the needed insight by applying the principles of situational intelligence. It helps operators visualize the grid in multiple dimensions on a map, alerts them to potential problems, helps determine the root cause of those problems, and facilitates the remedial actions that are required and procedures that must be followed to address the problems.

Space-Time Insight now delivers on the real-time performance demands of WASA systems by enabling operators to:

* perform real-time comparison calculations across any synchrophasor combination on a grid, using massive multi-threading capabilities that calculate phase angle separation signals at signal acquisition speed (i.e. multiple times per second)

* proactively and promptly address outages and looming crises courtesy of dynamic displays that deliver operational alerts through multiple channels including SMS, email, and visual and audible alarms, and threshold violation benchmarks

* gain a 360-degree view of the grid ecosystem in real time through overlays of weather and environmental event feeds and any number of additional data sources, including seamless plug-and-play integration of Voltage Stability Analysis (VSA) and Oscillation Management System (OMS)

* set up monitoring policies and define new business rules and equations with the ease of natural language, reducing their dependence on IT and improving their productivity and effectiveness

"The deployment of synchrophasors is a critical step towards ensuring large-scale rolling blackouts do not occur,” said Krishna Kumar, CTO and Founder of Space-Time Insight. "Just as critical is the ability to understand and quickly act on the data those synchrophasors report. Space-Time Insight uniquely correlates and transforms the data into intuitive visual displays that operators can use to make informed decisions."

"How do you Topcon?" is the theme for Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) new video contest aimed at showing how customers put TPS instruments to work.

The contest will run August 1 through October 31, 2011.

Participants will upload a short video (maximum 120 seconds) showing how they use Topcon products and services. Any use of Topcon equipment across all business segments – construction, survey, emerging business and agriculture – will be eligible.

At the close of the contest, social media users (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) will vote on their favorite videos, based on contest rules, which will be posted on the contest page website.

From points received, the finalists will move to the last stage – an independent panel of judges. Points will be awarded for creativity/originality of the concept of the video and also of the final product.

Winners will be notified after December 1. Prizes include: Grand prize, choice of a Topcon product from a selection of products, or iPad 2, or $750 American Express (AMEX) gift card.

The four runners up will get one of either a $500, $250, $100 or $50 AMEX gift card.

“Video of the Week” winners will also receive a $25 AMEX gift card or a “How do you Topcon?” hat and t-shirt.

Winners will be featured in a special edition of Topcon Today, as well as in a national news release and on the TPS website.

The California Chapters of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) and the California Geographic Information Association (CGIA) are pleased to announce the 18th Annual California GIS Conference, to be held April 11-13, 2012 at the Sheraton Sacramento. The theme of CalGIS 2012 is Capitalizing on Spatial Technology. Abstracts will be accepted and significant early registration discounts are available through October 3, 2011.

The educational program is developed through a review of submissions received through the Call for Abstracts. The committee welcomes the submission of individual papers, posters, complete sessions, and lightning talks and has proposed a list of suggested categories for consideration:

* Education, Health, and Community - The focus of this track is on serving geospatial information needs and the application of GIS within the community, and the areas of education and health.

* Natural Resources, Water, and Agriculture Technical Applications - This track covers the application of geospatial technologies in the broad areas of natural resources, water, and agriculture.

* Risk and Emergency Management - This track covers the application of geospatial technologies in the broad areas of risk management, mitigation, and planning or responding to emergency situations.

* Technical Applications - This track includes presentations on specific applications of geospatial technology. This track includes the use of emerging technologies, web applications, and open source applications.

* Government and Policy - This track is focused on laws, regulations, policies, and standards which affect the geospatial community. It is intended to include presentations or discussions on how the geospatial community can effectively respond to requirements that affect our work.

* General Geospatial - This is an open track for presentations and discussions on geospatial topics of interest to the geospatial community.

Abstracts will be accepted and significant early registration discounts are available through October 3, 2011. Visit calgis.org for conference details.

With decades of experience in developing country-scale geographic information system (GIS) databases and in performing major geologic mapping and resource assessment programs within the Middle East, Eurasia, Asia and South America, the USGS is working to develop an integrated GIS data framework for Afghanistan that will provide the fundamental databases and current, state-of-the-art maps to support natural resource assessment programs and to aid in restoring Afghan geosciences ministries to operational status.

Working in cooperation with the Afghanistan Geological Survey (AGS), Afghanistan Ministry of Mines and Industries (MMI), and Afghanistan Geology and Cartography Head Office (AGCHO), participants in USGS’ Geospatial Infrastructure Development Project have collected, compiled, and digitized existing geologic, topographic and remote sensing data and used them to produce geologic, cartographic, and satellite image map sets of the entire country. They have worked with Afghan partners to develop in-country expertise in various types of mapping, and have also initiated work on a national spatial data infrastructure (NSDI) for Afghanistan.

The Geospatial Infrastructure Development team is also responsible for developing and maintaining this website, and thus providing data for both USGS and collaborating scientists in support of their respective projects as well as making available more general information about USGS Projects in Afghanistan to the public.

Access products of the Geospatial Infrastructure Project, including data collections, maps, and various publications.

I was looking for a quick solution to doing Bootstrap or Bootstrapping statistics without writing a code. In times like this, I usually turn to R codes. In some lazy days, I use Excel macro. But now, I was determined to use a free software (at least a free trial) that does Bootstrapping stats.

My goal was to do bootstrap regression in my limited 20 samples and estimate properties of the beta coefficients.

I found one software that does it flawlessly - the S-plus. It is now own by TIBCO Software Inc (I thought it was owned by Insightful Corporation). You can download the free S-plus trial software here. If you download the S-plus, you get the chance to try the TIBCO Spotfire as well. Spotfire plots data with interactive visualization!

If you do not want a trial version, and prefer to use Microsoft Excel instead to do your Bootstrap, there is also an easy way to do it. Use the Excel Bootstrap add-in. The add-in enables bootstrapping from within Excel environment. Download and follow the instructions to install the plug-in.

For Bootstrapping Help, I found this guide (pdf) to help you interpret Bootstrap results.

Visit also the "Resample Library User’s Manual" for any of your the S-plus Bootstrap questions.

The School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford is to compile a map of prehistoric England for the first time, says Telegraph.

The 'Portal to the Past’ project will allow people to look online to discover the history of their own area over 3,500 years, from the Bronze Age in 1500BC to the Domesday Book in 1086.

Professor Chris Gosden, who is leading the project, said local history is one of the most popular internet searches after family ancestors.

However at the moment the parish records will only show up to around 1,000 years ago.

The five year project, funded by £1.8 million from the European Research Council, will bring together all the available data into a digital archive to create maps and as much information as possible about prehistoric England.

Most of the data will be from English Heritage aerial photographs showing ancient sites of interest. There is also £100 million spent every year by developers carrying out archaeological research on sites before building work begins and private research by museums and individuals.

Material will also be drawn from county archives, databases of ancient coins, and the Portable Antiquity Scheme (which records the archaeological finds made by metal detectors). Oxford researchers will work with the British Museum, the Archaeology Data Service and local history experts with a good knowledge of the period.

The Portal to the Past website is expected to go live in 2014. It will be available through the University of Oxford School of Archaeology website at http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/

The 3D Laser Scanning market including hardware, software, and services is rather dynamic with major segments experiencing rapid product innovation. The market contains exceptional opportunities with rapid forecasted growth driven by both replacing older mechanical methods, and by improved work flow with lower overall project costs which enables more projects. For the forecast period, the market is forecasted to grow with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.4% according to a new ARC Advisory Group study.

3D Laser Scanning Systems Business3D laser scanning equipment senses the shape of an object and collects data for the location of the outer surface. This distinct technology has found applications in many industries including discrete and process manufacturing, utilities, construction, archaeology, law enforcement, government, and entertainment.

“3D laser scanning is an exceptionally dynamic market. Technology advances in the areas of workflow, software, and ease-of-use are rapidly expanding the applications for it,” according to Research Director Ralph Rio, the principal author of ARC’s “3D Laser Scanning Worldwide Outlook”. Ralph continued, “One example is the increase in computational horsepower and memory size with 64-bit computing which supports using a massive point cloud rather than smaller segments. This is just one of many areas providing a huge improvement in productivity and lower overall project cost.”

Higher Productivity Drives Market Growth
A 3D laser scanning project involves several areas of cost which correspond to the phases of a surveying or metrology project. The costs include the scanning equipment, labor to execute the scan, and post processing. Improvements in software and workflow processing have significantly reduced the labor costs, particularly for post processing. As the total project cost decline, more projects move above the line for justification and execution. Just like economics 101 — as costs decline, volume increases. The increased volume drives the purchase of additional scanning hardware and software which contributes to a growing market.

Shorter Range Market Segment Is Strongest
The 3D laser scanning market has sub-segments that coalesce around technical capability, corresponding applications, and distinct suppliers. There are three market sub-segments based on range (distance) for the laser scan. They are:

- Short Range: usually under a meter
- Medium Range: typical application of under 50 meters
- Long Range: typically up to two kilometers

The segment for short range equipment and software is experiencing both rapid technological innovation and revenue growth. In the medium range sub-segment, the hardware is more stable with software providing increasing value-added business benefits. The long range sub-segment has some very interesting application areas, but has relatively expensive equipment.

Software Innovation Is Accelerating
The software applications available for converting the point cloud dots into more useable information within a design authoring software program have high value to the end user. They provide the link between the laser scanning instrument and usable information. This area of software is rapidly evolving with improved functionality and, in a way, intelligence.