The most recent version of this document (v2) was posted on 2007 September 17.
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Visualization of and Access to CloudSat Vertical Data through Google Earth
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- George Mason Univ. / NASA Goddard Space Flight Center code 610.2
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center code 610.2
- George Mason University
- Document Type:
- Manuscript
- Date:
- Received 03 August 2007 04:17 UTC; Posted 03 August 2007
- Subjects:
- Earth & Environment
- Abstract:
Online tools, pioneered by the Google Earth (GE), are facilitating the way in which scientists and general public interact with geospatial data in real three dimensions. However, even in Google Earth, there is no method for depicting vertical geospatial data derived from remote sensing satellites as an orbit curtain seen from above. Here, an effective solution is proposed to automatically render the vertical atmospheric data on Google Earth. The data are first processed through the Giovanni system, then, processed to be 15-second vertical data images. A generalized COLLADA model is devised based on the 15-second vertical data profile. Using the designed COLLADA models and satellite orbit coordinates, a satellite orbit model is designed and implemented in KML format to render the vertical atmospheric data in spatial and temporal ranges vividly. The whole orbit model consists of repeated model slices. The model slices, each representing 15 seconds of vertical data, are placed on the CloudSat orbit based on the size, scale, and angle with the longitude line that are precisely and separately calculated on the fly for each slice according to the CloudSat orbit coordinates. The resulting vertical scientific data can be viewed transparently or opaquely on Google Earth. Not only is the research bridged the science and data with scientists and the general public in the most popular way, but simultaneous visualization and efficient exploration of the relationships among quantitative geospatial data, e.g. comparing the vertical data profiles with MODIS and AIRS precipitation data, becomes possible.
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- This document is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License
- How to cite this document:
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Chen, Aijun, Leptoukh, Gregory , Di, Liping, Kempler, Steven, and Lynnes, Christopher. Visualization of and Access to CloudSat Vertical Data through Google Earth. Available from Nature Precedings <http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/npre.2007.595.1> (2007)
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Henry Niman on 05 August 2007 02:14 UTC
Congratulations on bridging the gap between scientific data and access by the general public. Tools such as Google Earth are becoming increasingly popular, and use of GPS devices to generate precise map coordinates is also on the rise.
The devices have come into play in the public health arena. Government reports on disease outbreaks are now using map coordinates which have up to six decimal places, allowing for precise mapping.
These reports are public, and I have used such reports on avian influenza
http://www.oie.int/downld/AVIAN%20INFLUENZA/A_AI-Asia.htm
to map new outbreaks. The map coordinates have come into wide use in the past year, and are now included in almost all reports. Public access to Google Earth, with user friendly mapping using the map coordinates and point and click zooming, generates interactions with real disease outbreak data, such as H5N1 outbreaks in Europe, by the general public
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.000434e9d3e9066b4203c&ll=50.190968,11.689453&spn=6.485709,13.205566&z=6&om=0
More detailed tools, such as the ones you describe, will increase involvement of the general public with scientific data, which is a major plus.