12
Chapter 1 It’s a Geospatial World Out There
a feature so that you can examine past images. For instance, if imagery of
your town was available in 2006, 2008, and today, you can choose which of
these “canned” images you want to view. Many other data layers have been
up dated and are constantly being added, such as 3D buildings or other
location-based application layers.
The Geospatial Lab Application: Introduction to Geospatial Concepts and
Google Earth that accompanies this chapter walks you through several different usages of Google Earth. It assumes no prior experience with Google Earth,
but even veteran users may find some new tricks or twists in how geospatial data is handled. You’ll use a variety of Google Earth tools to investigate
several of the avenues this book will explore, from aerial image interpretation, to 3D terrain and objects, to determining the shortest path between two
destinations. Before you start using Google Earth, Hands-on Application 1.5:
The Google Earth Plug-In will show you some of its very cool features and applications just using your Web browser.
Think about this type of scenario—if you own property, then that information is part of the public record
with the county auditor’s office and likely available
online. Someone can type your address into an online GIS (or mapping Website such as MapQuest or
Google Maps) and get a map showing how to travel
to your property (house or business). In addition,
the dimensions, boundaries, and a high-resolution
image of your property can be easily obtained. It
is possible that other information can be acquired,
such as a close-up picture of your house taken from
the street. All of this is free, publicly available information that can be had with just a few clicks of a
mouse. Anonymity about where you live or work is
suddenly becoming a thing of the past. What does
the widespread availability (and access to) this
type of spatial information mean about privacy? If
anyone with an Internet connection can obtain a
detailed image of the house you live in, has your
personal privacy been invaded?
What Happens to Privacy In a Geospatial World?
Thinking Critically with Geospatial Technology 1.1
The Google Earth Plug-in is a special add-on that
will install into your Web browser and allow you
to utilize some Google Earth features via the Web.
Open your Web browser and go to http://www.
google.com/earth/explore/products/plugin.html
and follow the instructions for installing the Google
Earth Plug-in for your Web browser. After installation, you’ll see a preview window that will allow
you to rotate, zoom, and tilt a virtual globe of the
Earth.
The Google Earth Website also features several
examples of how the plug-in is used for a variety
of geospatial Web applications. For instance, the
“Sports Stadiums” link allows you to zoom from
space to a variety of 3D versions of stadiums across
the United States, while the “Oil Spill” link allows you
to interactively view the extent of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Check
out all of the above and also explore more examples
of Google Earth to see its geospatial applications.
Hands-on Application 1.5
The Google Earth Plug-In
Chapter 1 It’s a Geospatial World Out There
a feature so that you can examine past images. For instance, if imagery of
your town was available in 2006, 2008, and today, you can choose which of
these “canned” images you want to view. Many other data layers have been
up dated and are constantly being added, such as 3D buildings or other
location-based application layers.
The Geospatial Lab Application: Introduction to Geospatial Concepts and
Google Earth that accompanies this chapter walks you through several different usages of Google Earth. It assumes no prior experience with Google Earth,
but even veteran users may find some new tricks or twists in how geospatial data is handled. You’ll use a variety of Google Earth tools to investigate
several of the avenues this book will explore, from aerial image interpretation, to 3D terrain and objects, to determining the shortest path between two
destinations. Before you start using Google Earth, Hands-on Application 1.5:
The Google Earth Plug-In will show you some of its very cool features and applications just using your Web browser.
Think about this type of scenario—if you own property, then that information is part of the public record
with the county auditor’s office and likely available
online. Someone can type your address into an online GIS (or mapping Website such as MapQuest or
Google Maps) and get a map showing how to travel
to your property (house or business). In addition,
the dimensions, boundaries, and a high-resolution
image of your property can be easily obtained. It
is possible that other information can be acquired,
such as a close-up picture of your house taken from
the street. All of this is free, publicly available information that can be had with just a few clicks of a
mouse. Anonymity about where you live or work is
suddenly becoming a thing of the past. What does
the widespread availability (and access to) this
type of spatial information mean about privacy? If
anyone with an Internet connection can obtain a
detailed image of the house you live in, has your
personal privacy been invaded?
What Happens to Privacy In a Geospatial World?
Thinking Critically with Geospatial Technology 1.1
The Google Earth Plug-in is a special add-on that
will install into your Web browser and allow you
to utilize some Google Earth features via the Web.
Open your Web browser and go to http://www.
google.com/earth/explore/products/plugin.html
and follow the instructions for installing the Google
Earth Plug-in for your Web browser. After installation, you’ll see a preview window that will allow
you to rotate, zoom, and tilt a virtual globe of the
Earth.
The Google Earth Website also features several
examples of how the plug-in is used for a variety
of geospatial Web applications. For instance, the
“Sports Stadiums” link allows you to zoom from
space to a variety of 3D versions of stadiums across
the United States, while the “Oil Spill” link allows you
to interactively view the extent of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Check
out all of the above and also explore more examples
of Google Earth to see its geospatial applications.
Hands-on Application 1.5
The Google Earth Plug-In