May 19, 2011
By Robert Simmon, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (www.nasa.gov/goddard), Greenbelt, Md. hen it comes to misinterpreting a satellite image or map, there are many ways the media and other organizations can get it wrong. For example, consider this recent headline and image from the U.K.’s Daily Mail Online: World of two halves! Map shows most
May 18, 2011
Image processing innovations are creating value for decision makers. By Robert Schowengerdt, professor emeritus, University of Arizona (http://www.arizona.edu/), Tucson, Ariz. He is the author of Remote Sensing—Models and Methods for Image Processing (2006), which is now in its third edition and available at http://www.elsevier.com/. Remote sensing science and technology have evolved dramatically in the nearly
May 18, 2011
By Dr. Gary E. Weir, historian, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (http://www.nga.mil/), Bethesda, Md. Have you ever heard of the Great Grain Robbery of 1972? What sounds like a train hijacking actually opened the intelligence community’s eyes to the possibilities of a new form of sensory technology that has since become important for defense against military, terrorist,
May 18, 2011
Following the March 11, 2011, tsunami that ravaged Japan’s coastline, the geospatial community has rallied around the country, providing disaster response tools on the ground and an array of geospatially based information resources via the Internet. Japan continues to bear the hardships of this massive natural disaster, described by many experts as the worst crisis
May 6, 2011
Advanced raster management speeds disaster response and other mission-critical data to U.S. Air Force operations worldwide. By Mike Cannon, Dave Williams and Matt Moore, AECOM (http://www.aecom.com/), Virginia Beach, Va. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) is divided into Major Commands that focus on specific geographic and functional areas. For example, the primary mission of the Air
May 6, 2011
New Web-based platforms for delivering satellite imagery and other critical geospatial information to first responders are revolutionizing disaster management. By Tara Byrnes, director, North American channel, GeoEye (http://www.geoeye.com/), Herndon, Va. Sometimes we know of an event or situation about to unfold, but often we’re caught off guard by natural and man-made disasters. First responders, the
May 6, 2011
Geospatial Community to the Rescue Following the devastating March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, a host of geospatial companies provided pivotal disaster response information and services. Many of the same companies and more will contribute to cleanup and rebuilding efforts. The disaster has been described as Japan’s worst crisis since World War
April 15, 2011
Threat Detection and Assessment A development team led by TerraEchos and its sister company, GCS Research, both of Missoula, Mont., have introduced a commercial sensor-knowledge system capable of detecting, locating and classifying threats to remote high-risk facilities. The Adelos® S4 system integrates acoustic fiber-optic sensors, multistream information processing and geospatial situational awareness technologies. System Specifics
April 15, 2011
The data benefit scientists, engineers, government agencies and the public with applications that range from land-use planning to virtual Earth exploration. NASA is currently using Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data to create an even better global topographic map by combining it with the more complete Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer global digital elevation
