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Who Is Involved with Geospatial Technology?
This chapter explores these types of new frontiers and advances in the
geospatial world and who’s involved with these types of activities to sponsor
and support them. How can you get involved with creating your own maps online or obtaining the newest (and coolest) geospatial devices, tools, and data
to use? What kind of educational opportunities are there in higher education,
and how is geospatial technology being used at the K–12 education levels?
We’ll look into all of these topics and some examples of what else is out there
in geospatial technology (and, again, there’s no way we’re going to be able to
cover everything or everybody out there—the following sections provide a
look at several examples).
Who Is Involved with Geospatial Technology?
There are numerous “power players” in the geospatial world—we’ve already
discussed the role of companies such as Microsoft, Google, Esri, GeoEye, and
DigitalGlobe, as well as government agencies including NASA, NOAA, and
the USGS in providing geospatial data and infrastructure. Other federal government agencies including the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and
NGA (the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency) play important roles in
applications of geospatial technology. Many state and local agencies utilize
GIS, GPS, or remotely sensed data through city planning, county auditors’ offices, or county engineers’ offices. Another notable organization in the geospatial field is the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), a group involved with
developing new standards of geospatial data interoperability.
There are also several prominent professional organizations in the geospatial field. For example, the Association of American Geographers (AAG)
is the national organization for geographers of all fields, whether physical,
regional, cultural, or geospatial. Boasting several thousand members, AAG is
a key organization for geographers, hosting a large annual national meeting, multiple regional branches, and publishing key geographic journals. Another major professional group is the American Society for Photogrammetry
and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), a strong national organization dedicated to
remote sensing and geospatial research. ASPRS publishes a prominent academic journal in the field and hosts national and regional meetings well attended by geospatial professionals. Also, the National Council for Geographic
Education (NCGE) is a nationally recognized organization of educators dedicated to promoting geographic education through conferences, research, and
journal publications.
There are many ongoing research and educational initiatives dedicated
to furthering geospatial technology and its applications, as well as improving
and fostering access to geospatial data and tools. For example, OhioView is
an initiative created in 1996 dedicated to remote sensing research and educational efforts in Ohio. Part of OhioView’s efforts led to the free distribution of Landsat imagery (where previously a single Landsat scene used to cost
$4000). Today, OhioLINK, the online library system for the state, can be used
OGC the Open
Geospatial Consortium,
a group involved
with developing new
standards of geospatial
data interoperability.
AAG the Association of
American Geographers,
the national
organization for the
field of geography.
ASPRS the
American Society
for Photogrammetry
and Remote Sensing,
a professional
organization in the
geospatial and remote
sensing field.
NCGE the National
Council for Geographic
Education, a
professional
organization dedicated
to geographic
education.
OhioView a research
and education
consortium consisting
of the state universities
in Ohio along with
related partners.
Who Is Involved with Geospatial Technology?
This chapter explores these types of new frontiers and advances in the
geospatial world and who’s involved with these types of activities to sponsor
and support them. How can you get involved with creating your own maps online or obtaining the newest (and coolest) geospatial devices, tools, and data
to use? What kind of educational opportunities are there in higher education,
and how is geospatial technology being used at the K–12 education levels?
We’ll look into all of these topics and some examples of what else is out there
in geospatial technology (and, again, there’s no way we’re going to be able to
cover everything or everybody out there—the following sections provide a
look at several examples).
Who Is Involved with Geospatial Technology?
There are numerous “power players” in the geospatial world—we’ve already
discussed the role of companies such as Microsoft, Google, Esri, GeoEye, and
DigitalGlobe, as well as government agencies including NASA, NOAA, and
the USGS in providing geospatial data and infrastructure. Other federal government agencies including the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and
NGA (the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency) play important roles in
applications of geospatial technology. Many state and local agencies utilize
GIS, GPS, or remotely sensed data through city planning, county auditors’ offices, or county engineers’ offices. Another notable organization in the geospatial field is the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), a group involved with
developing new standards of geospatial data interoperability.
There are also several prominent professional organizations in the geospatial field. For example, the Association of American Geographers (AAG)
is the national organization for geographers of all fields, whether physical,
regional, cultural, or geospatial. Boasting several thousand members, AAG is
a key organization for geographers, hosting a large annual national meeting, multiple regional branches, and publishing key geographic journals. Another major professional group is the American Society for Photogrammetry
and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), a strong national organization dedicated to
remote sensing and geospatial research. ASPRS publishes a prominent academic journal in the field and hosts national and regional meetings well attended by geospatial professionals. Also, the National Council for Geographic
Education (NCGE) is a nationally recognized organization of educators dedicated to promoting geographic education through conferences, research, and
journal publications.
There are many ongoing research and educational initiatives dedicated
to furthering geospatial technology and its applications, as well as improving
and fostering access to geospatial data and tools. For example, OhioView is
an initiative created in 1996 dedicated to remote sensing research and educational efforts in Ohio. Part of OhioView’s efforts led to the free distribution of Landsat imagery (where previously a single Landsat scene used to cost
$4000). Today, OhioLINK, the online library system for the state, can be used
OGC the Open
Geospatial Consortium,
a group involved
with developing new
standards of geospatial
data interoperability.
AAG the Association of
American Geographers,
the national
organization for the
field of geography.
ASPRS the
American Society
for Photogrammetry
and Remote Sensing,
a professional
organization in the
geospatial and remote
sensing field.
NCGE the National
Council for Geographic
Education, a
professional
organization dedicated
to geographic
education.
OhioView a research
and education
consortium consisting
of the state universities
in Ohio along with
related partners.