GeoPearls - Data

Back in the old days when I used to scrounge island data in libraries, I loved to read articles from Smithsonian Atoll Research Bulletin (ARB). Now days, the series is available on-line through the generosity of the Smithsonian and the efforts of David Duffy, unit leader of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The articles are timeless and cover topics that are of interest to all island lovers. Take your time and explore the many bulletins. They are worth the research.

Enjoy!

Labels: ARB, atoll, island, PCSU, Smithsonian

I'm known as the "Mapman" teacher. Just this week my students worked on maps of Japan and Asia. The outline maps were made using Marplot loaded with 1:5,000,000 scale world shorelines. Any Social Studies teacher would love to work with Marplot and world shorelines.

All you teachers, listen up. You need to create your own map machine. The slideshow is a "How To" fetch map files, load them and create layers. If you really want to create your own map machine, you must first prep Marplot after you have installed it. Delete the Prince William County layers and then start with the slideshow instructions. Good luck. Enjoy!

Labels: map, map scale, Marplot, WVS

Benthic Habitats, better known as reefs, are a closely researched phenomena. Many governmental groups carefully study these ecosystems in an effort to take the temperature of Planet Earth. If the reefs are sick, they reflect the condition of the bigger patient, Planet Earth. Consequently, reefs are keenly studied.

After reading the above manual, which I downloaded some time ago, I decided to re-explore the origninating website - Shallow Water Benthic Habitats of Pacific Islands.  "The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service (NOS) initiated a coral reef research program in 1999 to map, assess, inventory, and monitor U.S. coral reef ecosystems (Monaco et al. 2001)." During my revisit to the site I noticed a link called Data.  You all know that I love data, especially data that has to do with mapping islands. And that is exactly what this link leads to - numerous shapefiles of islands, reef systems, image mosaics, ground control points, etc. It is a treasure trove of information. The shapefiles loaded quickly and easily into Global Mapper. To gain maximum benefit they should be loaded into ESRI product to read all of the mapped data completely. The data did load into ArcExplorer Java Edition for Educators (AEJEE).  The slideshow includes images of some of these data files displayed in Global Mapper.

In addition, this site leads to the Center of Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, which has a large number of additional coastal studies either completed or underway. Most of them contain free small and large scale mapping.

Have a good time scrounging free data.

Enjoy!

Labels: benthic habitats, map, Pacific, shp files

I have had a few visitors hunting for information about the Caspian Sea.  Typically, I send them to Caspian Environment.  This site has loads of great data and links about the Caspian Sea.

What I have managed to do some months ago was to digitize most of the Caspian Sea shoreline at EVS precision.  My shoreline makes the best currently available (1:1,000,000) appear crude.  My EVS shoreline mirrors cloud free Landsat ETM+ 2000 imagery shorelines.  Most of the digitizing was done at 1:12,500 scale.

This post contains Marplot maps of two interesting areas within the Caspian Sea - The Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan Bay and the Apsheron Peninsula, the location of Baku, AZ.  I have displayed 1:2,000,000 scale shoreline, which I call WVS.  These are compared to map images that display EVS shorelines.

Labels: Caspian Sea, EVS, Landsat, map, Marplot, shoreline

Crash! Boom! Bang!

I currently live in mostly sunny California, but I have resided in places where the sky cracks and rumbles - places of thunder and lightning.

NASA has an ongoing effort to collect Lightning data for a number of years. They include, on their site, a number of datasets which includes some excellent raster image maps.

Based on the map above, if you want to study lightning, go to central Africa. Interestingly, the Kashmir Region between India and Pakistan appears to rumble with high intensity as well.

Included is an interesting QT movie that shows 7-years of global lightning data. You will appreciate our living planet after viewing the movie.

Explore NASA's site, you will not be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Labels: lightning, map, NASA, thunder

I have had a few visitors hunting for information about the Caspian Sea.  Typically, I send them to Caspian Environment.  This site has loads of great data and links about the Caspian Sea.

What I have managed to do some months ago was to digitize most of the Caspian Sea shoreline at EVS precision.  My shoreline makes the best currently available (1:1,000,000) appear crude.  My EVS shoreline mirrors cloud free Landsat ETM+ 2000 imagery shorelines.  Most of the digitizing was done at 1:12,500 scale.

This post contains Marplot maps of two interesting areas within the Caspian Sea - The Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan Bay and the Apsheron Peninsula, the location of Baku, AZ.  I have displayed 1:2,000,000 scale shoreline, which I call WVS.  These are compared to map images that display EVS shorelines.

Labels: Caspian Sea, EVS, Landsat, map, Marplot