GIS in Education

OGC and EuroGeographics cooperate to advance European Spatial Data Infrastructure

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and EuroGeographics recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote interoperability through open standards to benefit the European geospatial community. The two organisations both seek to promote compatible, standards-based Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) from the local to global level, and the OGC is positioned to help EuroGeographics support a broad range of European stakeholders responding to Europe's INSPIRE Directive.

Both organisations will work cooperatively on outreach and communications to raise the awareness, acceptance, and implementation of open standards and related educational programs and best practices. This will include activities such as participation in international webinars; publishing papers on implementations; documenting Return on Investment; and examination and discussion of legal and policy issues associated with the use of spatial information and associated technologies. The two organisations will also work to identify, plan and convene joint workshops, conference sessions and symposia.

In addition, EuroGeographics and the OGC will seek funding and in-kind resources to advance joint OGC testbeds, pilot projects, and interoperability experiments, with a focus on advancing the European Location Framework.

"As an international standards organisation, OGC recognises the importance of regional requirements for interoperability," said Mark Reichardt, President and CEO of the OGC.

"This partnership will help OGC better understand and address the interoperability challenges facing leading mapping, land registry and cadastre organisations across Europe as they work to provide timely, accurate and useful geospatial information in support of a range of local to international challenges."

"With technology driving geographical information into the mainstream, the development of SDIs to underpin services is crucial and this partnership will play an important role in maximising the use and benefits of the authoritative, definitive and high quality data provided by our members,” commented EuroGeographics’ Secretary General and Executive Director, Dave Lovell.

“It builds upon a well established and productive relationship between the two organisations, most recently seen in an interoperability experiment built on the ESDIN project’s best practice which demonstrated that Shibboleth, which is open source software based on open standards, can be used to set up secure geospatial services that comply with the INSPIRE Directive and OGC standards."

EuroGeographics

EuroGeographics is a not-for-profit organization and the membership association for the European national mapping, land registry and cadastral agencies. It currently brings together 56 members from 44 countries. EuroGeographics‘ members are developing an infrastructure to integrate their national data – including topographic and land information – to deliver the definitive pan-European location framework for a wide range of uses.

By sharing best practice and creating standard data specifications and policies, EuroGeographics aims to ensure that members’ individual geographical databases are compatible and can interact with one another. This will provide Europe with the high quality geographical information it needs to develop policies and legislation for the environment, business competitiveness, public services, legal systems, security and more.

Visit EuroGeographics‘ website at: http://www.eurogeographics.org

Trimble introduced today a new version of its terrestrial mobile mapping office software — Trimble Trident Analyst 4.7. The software is designed to effectively manage and interpret high-resolution digital images and large point clouds, and automatically extract features from Trimble's MX Mobile Mapping and Survey systems. These capabilities allow land mobile data to be transformed into geospatial intelligence.

The announcement was made today at INTERGEO 2011, the world's largest conference on geodesy, geoinformatics and land management.

Trident Analyst 4.7 software takes advantage of the additional random access memory offered by 64-bit operating systems to enable loading and handling of very large terrestrial mobile mapping datasets, including production-size point cloud data. 64-bit processing allows Trident Analyst users to load, display, edit and analyze billions of points and thousands of high-resolution digital images quickly and effectively.

The latest version incorporates new quality control tools for efficient review of positional and orientation accuracy, and quick validation of boresight parameters and registration results using passive objects in the mapping environment. In addition, new 3D point cloud classification capabilities increase productivity and enhance usability throughout corridor mapping and survey workflows.

Trident Analyst is designed for robust object positioning, measurement, and data layer creation—ideal for the analysis of geo-referenced imagery and laser scanner data. Industry-leading functions can accelerate projects and increase productivity, including key automated processes such as surface modeling, roadway sign and pole detection, lane marking detection, edge and breakline detection, road geometry and clearance measurements.

"In combination, Trimble's MX Mobile Mapping and Survey systems and Trident Analyst software provide a turnkey solution tailored to the needs of mapping and surveying organizations," said Katherine Sandford, general manager of Trimble's GeoSpatial Division. "This offers a complete workflow—from data collection to processing and information creation—designed for compatibility and without third-party software repurposed from other application fields."

Availability

The Trimble Trident Analyst software suite is bundled together with Trimble's MX1, MX3 and MX8 sensors and will be available through Trimble's land mobile mapping and survey distribution channel. Customers with a current maintenance contract will receive the upgrade at no additional cost.

NASA's new Aquarius instrument has produced its first global map of the salinity of the ocean surface, providing an early glimpse of the mission's anticipated discoveries.

Aquarius, which is aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D (Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas) observatory, is making NASA's first space observations of ocean surface salinity variations -- a key component of Earth's climate. Salinity changes are linked to the cycling of freshwater around the planet and influence ocean circulation.

The new map, which shows a tapestry of salinity patterns, demonstrates Aquarius' ability to detect large-scale salinity distribution features clearly and with sharp contrast. The map is a composite of the data since Aquarius became operational on Aug. 25. The mission was launched June 10 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Aquarius/SAC-D is a collaboration between NASA and Argentina's space agency, Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE).

To produce the map, Aquarius scientists compared the early data with ocean surface salinity reference data. Although the early data contain some uncertainties, and months of additional calibration and validation work remain, scientists are impressed by the data's quality.

The map shows several well-known ocean salinity features such as higher salinity in the subtropics; higher average salinity in the Atlantic Ocean compared to the Pacific and Indian oceans; and lower salinity in rainy belts near the equator, in the northernmost Pacific Ocean and elsewhere. These features are related to large-scale patterns of rainfall and evaporation over the ocean, river outflow and ocean circulation. Aquarius will monitor how these features change and study their link to climate and weather variations.

Other important regional features are evident, including a sharp contrast between the arid, high-salinity Arabian Sea west of the Indian subcontinent, and the low-salinity Bay of Bengal to the east, which is dominated by the Ganges River and south Asia monsoon rains. The data also show important smaller details, such as a larger-than-expected extent of low-salinity water associated with outflow from the Amazon River.

Aquarius was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., for NASA's Earth Systems Science Pathfinder Program. JPL is managing Aquarius through its commissioning phase and will archive mission data. Goddard will manage Aquarius mission operations and process science data. CONAE provided the SAC-D spacecraft and the mission operations center.

The new map is available here.

Abstract: Fuel Treatment Effectiveness in the United States - FTEUS Project

The fire situation in the United States is well documented with a growing prevalence of larger and more intense fires that have increasingly severe consequences for affected ecosystems and human health and well being. Wildland fire managers have the task of mitigating the impacts of wildfires that will inevitably occur. Increasingly, fuels management has been put forth and implemented as part of an integral strategy for minimizing fire risk, extreme fire behavior, area affected by wildfire and both the economic and ecological costs of fires. These activities take a multitude of forms, from stand alone prescribed fires to various types of thinning or combinations of treatments. However, managers need to know how cumulative wildland fuels treatments act at the landscape level (Task 2) and, furthermore, how long effective life spans of treatment are (Task 3).

The proposed project will quantify the effectiveness of fuel treatments across the nation in terms of their measurable effects on fire severity (site) and fire spread (landscape). To do this, we will capitalize on the fire atlas information from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) project, the fuel treatment information from the NFPORS database, and the fuels and topography data from the LANDFIRE project. Initial inference of possible fuel treatments subjected to fire will be derived by intersection of NFPORS spatial information (e.g. centroid or polygon data) with the MTBS fire perimeters. For 2006-2008, all large fires in the continental U.S. (>500 acres east; >1000 acres west of 97 degrees) that meet these criteria will be evaluated in a GIS environment for burn severity (based on dNBR) differences between fuel treatment areas and untreated forests. Fuel treatment type, age, size and configuration and placement on the landscape will be factored into the spatial and statistical analyses. Using the fire atlases for 1984-2005, all large fires with affected treatments in the Northwest and California (MTBS scheduled completion for 2007), and the majority of the Southeast, Southwest and North Central (completion 2009) will be analyzed.

It is expected that more than 7,000 MTBS fires will be screened and that several hundred (5-10%) will have fuel treatments affected by fire. Through use of ancillary data from LANDFIRE, all fire-affected forest pixels will be assigned slope, aspect and elevation information in a spatial database that will include treatment type and age information. To assess the landscape level influence of the fuel treatments, we will utilize recorded fire-related data (wind, fuel moisture etc) and the fuels and ancillary data from LANDFIRE to run FARSITE both with and without the fuels treatments. The fuels treatments are not currently reflected in the LANDFIRE data layers. We will adjust the LANDFIRE fuels information to account for fuel treatments and then run FARSITE with adjustments such that the resulting fire extent closely matches the actual fire perimeters from MTBS. We will then substitute the original LANDFIRE fuels data, which does not include any fuels treatments, and run the same fire scenario fuels treatments. Simulated fire extents will then be compared to provide an estimate of the cumulative landscape level effect of the combined treatments at each site. For major ecosystem types and treatments, model runs will be conducted where individual factors are varied (e.g. slope, wind, fuel moisture, treatment age) to provide sensitivity analyses of the conditions under which different treatments effectively mitigate landscape and site level fire extent and behavior.

This study will provide wildland fire managers and policy makers with a better understanding of how conditions and location will affect the effectiveness of treatments. It will also supply the tools and data needed to make strategic decisions on planning and implementing fuels treatments and appropriate fuels management policies. This project will also provide an operational test of NFPORS and the LANDFIRE and MTBS deliverables.

See FTEUS reports.

LTI's LaserGIS is a software extension for ArcPad that expedites the process of setting up and storing the laser's measurements with fewer steps and more flexibility for the user. Built on ArcPad's current platform, the software enhancement makes it an easy addition for current users as the workflow is the same except the new LaserGIS toolbar makes collecting data quicker and easier.

Using LTI lasers for GIS data collection increases your productivity because the need to physically occupy the locations you have to record is eliminated. That's great, but your laser needs to work seamlessly within your GIS software. LaserGIS is the first robust software extension that significantly enhances ArcPad®’s current laser offset functionality.

No extensive training needed and increased field productivity translates into saving time (which as we all know also means saving money) LTI's LaserGIS for ArcPad® is a must have for GIS data collection.

Download a FREE TRIAL.

Version 1.0.1 is now available and is a free and recommended upgrade to existing LaserGIS users. This release offers a localization toolkit and German and French versions have just been released!

Key Features:

- Connect your TruPulse 360 via Bluetooth and set up your laser preferences in a matter of seconds.
- Easily record laser offset data with or without GPS using an existing ArcPad® map or from a template
- Use "Quick Traverse" to map and calculate an area as well as determine your percent error of closure
- Automatically and instantly download height, distance, azimuth, slope, spans and clearance values within your GIS attributes
- Use GPS or any feature on your map to set your reference point. You can also use a survey monument or even just tap on your map to get started.
- Laser data is collected in native ArcPad formats for immediate porting into ArcGIS. LaserGIS also automatically stores all your raw measurements that can be exported in a (.raw) file format.
- Map multiple objects from your one location, with or without GPS, or do a traverse by occupying the location of your last shot.
- Expedite the process by auto accepting your measurements and features and LaserGIS will collect all your data without touching the screen.
- Automatically apply declination settings based on your map or GPS location.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is making aerial images collected between December 2009 and April 2010 available to the public for use in assessing flood damage resulting from Tropical Storm Lee.

The imagery covers Bradford, Centre, Clinton, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Wyoming counties.

"As municipalities and residents attempt to return to normal, it's helpful to know what an area looked like before it was flooded to determine the amount of damage," Pennsylvania State Geologist George Love said. "This high-resolution aerial photography can provide detailed information about how impacted areas looked before the waters rose."

The photographs will be most useful to governments and private sector contractors and consultants. They are available as an imagery service and as a download from the Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access website at www.pasda.psu.edu/ (choose PAMAP 2010 Imagery Service Now Available).

The images were acquired by DCNR from i-cubed ( www.i3.com), an enterprise geospatial information company, which agreed to waive a restriction that would have limited the data to governmental-use only until next June.

DCNR's Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey is responsible for the statewide digital base map, known as PAMAP, in partnership with other state agencies, counties, the federal government and other government entities.

PAMAP provides access to road, elevation, boundaries, hydrography and other data and aerial photography at a scale 10 times better than what was previously available through existing topographic maps.

For more information about PAMAP, go to http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/pamap/index.aspx.

Media contact: Christina Novak, 717-772-9101

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

SuperGIS Mobile Tour 3.0.1 for Android platform is now officially released world wide.

SuperGIS Mobile Tour is the mobile GIS application especially designed for tourism. SuperGIS Mobile Tour Manager is the main feature of this product, which allows to create tour project files (*.smt) as many times as you like. You can design different theme project files by setting, rearranging, and managing tour information.

Because of Android platform, SuperGIS Mobile Tour can not only display the scenic spot information and images, play audios, and videos through the Internet but also can browse the web map. While SuperGIS Mobile Tour is activated off-line, it can still play the multimedia files on the mobile device. Adopting the MapCache technologies, SuperGIS Mobile Tour can display the pre-generate map (cached map, .*sgt) so that the overall performance of SuperGIS Mobile Tour has been greatly enhanced.

SuperGIS Mobile Tour supports to read multiple project files, which allows users to define different sets of scenic spots, maps, and biological information. Moreover, SuperGIS Mobile Tour, integrated with GPS, GIS, AR technologies, enables users to intuitively tap the panel to gain the information they need. Besides, SuperGIS Mobile Tour is able to remind tourists that they are approaching the dangerous area or deviating from the route. Therefore, SuperGIS Mobile Tour is the best solution for scenic spot introduction, campus introduction, and eco-tourism services, etc.

Languages supported for user interface include English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

For more information and the trial software, please visit http://www.supergeotek.com.

PCI Geomatics, a world leading developer of geo-imaging software and systems, today announces the release of Geomatica 2012; the latest version of the company’s complete and integrated desktop image processing software featuring tools for remote sensing, digital photogrammetry, geospatial analysis, map production, mosaicking and more.

“Today’s geospatial professionals need tools that allow them to complete their work faster, with data availability and volumes on the rise,” said Peter Hazlett, Product Manager at PCI. “Geomatica 2012 provides leading edge automation, performance and innovation, leveraging the power of multi-core, multi- processor desktop systems to complete image processing tasks in record time.”

Usability improvements such as on-the-fly image enhancements and drag-and-drop file handling combine with new functionalities such as Optical and Coherent Change Detection to make Geomatica 2012 the most advanced Geomatica software release to date.

“This is an exciting release for PCI Geomatics and its customers,” said Terry Moloney, President and CEO at PCI. “This latest version improves upon our world-leading orthorectification algorithms, adds the features and functions the industry needs, and increases performance across the board using 64-bit architecture and innovative multi-threaded processing.”

Geomatica 2012 is available for 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows (Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7/Server 2003/Server 2008) and Linux (Kernel version 2.6.27, glibc version 2.9, gcc 4.3). For more information on Geomatica 2012, please visit www.pcigeomatics.com/geomatica.

Indonesia’s National Coordinating Agency for Survey and Mapping, BAKOSURTANAL, is taking its GIS initiatives to a whole new level by developing its NSDI using cloud computing technology – an initiative which stemmed from the agency’s thrust to provide accurate and reliable geospatial information to government agencies and the general public.

Dr. Asep Karsidi, Chief of BAKOSURTNAL, told FutureGov that at the moment they are currently collaborating with Esri, a worldwide leader in GIS, to develop Indonesia’s Spatial Data Infrastructure (Ina-SDI) using cloud.

Cloud computing can provide seamless sharing of information between different agencies, and also provide various opportunities for BAKOSURTANAL to become more cost-effective, productive, flexible, and efficient.

“In order to be spatially enabled, Indonesia will make spatial data acquisition complete on every scale as mandated in Indonesia’s geospatial Information Laws – thus the development of the Indonesian Spatial Data Infrastructure is very critical,” he said

“For the next three years we will continue to develop the NSDI to focus more on geospatial data and as well as build on capacity building for our human resources who will be custodians of our geospatial data.”

Commercial imaging satellites, satellite navigation devices, mobile phones, web mapping services (WMS), geographic information systems (GIS), location based services (LBS), radio frequency identification (RFID) and Global Positioning System (GPS) - spatial and location data is being collected, used and distributed around the clock and around the world and is now critical for numerous commercial and governmental purposes .

However, laws and policies with respect to this technology on issues such as privacy, data quality, intellectual property rights and national security are confusing, inconsistent and/or unclear. The mission of the Centre for Spatial Law and Policy is to (i) help businesses world-wide understand how existing laws and policies impact the collection, use and distribution of spatial and location data today and (ii) educate lawyers and policymakers on spatial technology so that consistent and transparent national and international legal and policy frameworks will develop in the future.

Check it out here.

URISA’s Exemplary Systems in Government (ESIG) Awards recognize exceptional achievements in the application of information technology that have improved the delivery and quality of government services. URISA is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s ESIG Awards.

ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS CATEGORY - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of using information systems technology in a multi-department environment as part of an integrated process. These systems exemplify effective use of technology yielding widespread improvements in the process(es) and/or service(s) involved and/or cost savings to the organization.

2011 ESIG Winner: URA Digital 3D Urban Model System

Submitted by Mr. Peter Quek Ser Hwee, Director Corporate Development, Information Systems - Urban Redevelopment Authority, Republic of Singapore

This solution was deemed exemplary by the ESIG Review Committee because this system was built not only to innovatively serve the needs of the jurisdiction and the community, but to embrace a cutting edge technology. The combination of 3D technology with 2D GIS technology has provided URA staff and their community with the tools to visualize the impact of urban development. The visual analysis provides a value added segment to the evaluation processes supporting the most educated decisions when building a greater Singapore. The use of 3D visualization has become a tool for Singapore’s marketing and communication of their land use plans. Quantitative impacts were given in terms of both “man-days” and monies saved to date, along with estimates of future benefits. Many different groups are now making use of the system and specific examples were given of projects/studies that used the system, along with visual representations for each. This is a unique application in that it presented an innovative system for producing visualizations of Singapore. The videos and images produced by the solution portray the vision of and for Singapore. Projects like these move the GIS and planning industries forward.

Distinguished Systems in this Category:

CAGIS Enterprise County Wide Construction Coordination System

Submitted by Raj Chundur, CAGIS Administrator, CAGIS - Cincinnati (Ohio) Area Geographic Information System

City of Calgary Cadastral Management System (CMS)

Submitted by Arne Svedahl, Leader - Land Asset Information & Mapping Infrastructure & Information, Corporate Services - City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

iMAPS: Using Collaboration and Technology to Color Outside the Organizational Lines

Submitted by Charles Friddle, Director - Wake County (North Carolina) GIS

Portage County Enterprise Wide GIS

Submitted by Brian Kelley, CIO – Portage County (Ohio)

SINGLE PROCESS SYSTEMS CATEGORY - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of applying information system technology to automate a specific SINGLE process or operation involving one department or sub-unit of an agency. The system application results in extended and/or improved government services that are more efficient and/or save money.

2011 ESIG Winner: Philadelphia Stormwater Billing Application - "PhillyStormwater"

Submitted by Joanne Dahme, Watersheds Program Manager, City of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Water Department

This solution was deemed exemplary by the ESIG Review Committee because it is an application that has benefited all stakeholders, including both the Philadelphia Water Department staff and the public alike. The System is an application in green storm water management that uses GIS to assess impervious site areas. It gives the public easy access to - and transparency to – storm water charges, and the ability to see the effect on their bills should property owners consider greener strategies. Processes have also been developed to address the data quality and consistency issues as they arise. The PhillyStormwater system has made a substantial impact on the new storm water billing process and saved hundreds of hours for the Water Department staff members per month. The system is the largest of its type in the country and certainly is progressive in the way it charges for storm water management costs.

Distinguished System in this Category:

Clark County Utility Tracker (C-Cut)

Submitted by Dan Kaler, GIS Coordinator – Clark County (Washington)

URISA congratulates all of the participants in the 2011 Exemplary Systems in Government Award program. For more information and to read each winning and distinguished system submission, visit http://www.urisa.org/2011ESIG

All of these exemplary systems will be celebrated during the Awards Breakfast at GIS-Pro 2011: URISA's 49th Annual Conference in Indianapolis on November 3, 2011.

The Construction and Planning Agency (CPA), the central government authority responsible for the national spatial resource planning in Taiwan, launched its web GIS platform about Non-Urban land development and evaluation to improve data management and to accelerate the convenience of using its query system.

The web GIS platform which they aptly called the “Examination System of Non-Urban Land Development Permission“ (ESNULDP) was launched in order to deal with large quantities of cases CPA receives each year.

According to an official statement, Since the ESNULDP needs to manage numerous data, the CPA collaborated with a leading global GIS software provider , to help CPA adopt the necessary technologies needed in order for the agency to meet their goals.

SuperWebGIS, a web server software, was adopted in the system to rapidly integrate various data and publish these resources online. With this technology in place, authorities on examination and the general public can now both browse and query on land information promptly and easily via the internet. [via]

Brussels, 01 September 2011: The child with the best drawing related to space or aeronautics in each Member State will have his or her name given to a satellite of the Galileo programme. The first two satellites to be launched on 20 October will bear the names of the winning children from Belgium (Thijs) and Bulgaria (Natalia) where the competition already took place earlier this year1. Today, the European Commission has rolled out the competition in the other 25 Member States to give names to the satellites which will be launched until 2019. Children aged 9–11 can participate.

European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, responsible for enterprise and industry policies, said: "With satellite navigation, space exploration, and space observation, the topic of space is of ever increasing importance for citizens and for our economic future. We wish to incite the creativity of children, and for them to become enthusiastic about space and its opportunities from a young age. We reward this creativity with the unique opportunity - of offering 27 children the chance to give a satellite their name.”

From 1 September to 15 November, children living in the EU and born in 2000, 2001 and 2002 - when the Galileo programme started - are invited to make a drawing related to space and aeronautics, scan it or take a digital photograph of it and upload it onto the competition's website. In each country, a national jury will select the best drawing and the winning child will have his or her name given to one of the satellites of the Galileo constellation. Satellites launches will take place regularly as of 2012 until the full constellation (which should count 30 satellites) is complete. The order in which the names of the children will be given to the satellites is determined by the alphabetical order of the member states written in the national language(s).

The competition is being announced in each Member State through press releases and press conferences, mailings to schools, teachers associations and educational portals. This should also help generate interest and give teachers material for covering the topic of space and satellite navigation in their class.

The competition can be accessed at http://www.galileocontest.eu/en/competition.