OpenTopography Blog

Information and discussion related to high-resolution LiDAR topography for the Earth sciences

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Posts from July 2010

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LiDAR Beginning to Appear in Google Maps Terrain Layer

Posted on Fri, July 30, 2010 by Chris Crosby in Data • Google Earth • Google Maps

One of my favorite features in Google Maps is the terrain layer, which provides a shaded relief (aka hillshade) view of the topography derived from a digital elevation model.  Google has done a nice job generating a visually pleasing terrain layer, and we use it for all of our Google Maps-based interfaces in OpenTopography.  Google appears to use a range of digital elevation model data sources to derive the terrain layer.  Throughout the US, it appears that the terrain layer comes from either 10 or 30 m (1/3 arc-second & 1 arc-second respectively) DEMs from the USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED).  Globally the terrain data appear to be derived from either Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data or something like the NOAA Global Land One-km Base Elevation Project (GLOBE) dataset.  Recently however, I’ve begun to notice higher resolution data in the Google Maps terrain layer.  These higher-resolution data are localized, and are patched into the terrain layer among the standard 10 and 30 m derived images, but they are impressive when you find them.  Based on the location of these patches of high-resolution terrain, and their appearance, it is pretty easy to deduce that Google is now incorporating bare earth LiDAR digital elevation models into the Google Maps terrain layer.

Thus far, I’ve noticed high-resolution data in downtown Portland, OR, the greater Los Angeles area, and Mount Saint Helens in Washington.  There may be other examples of LiDAR-derived terrain in Google Maps since I haven’t searched very hard.  If you are aware of other areas leave a comment.

Below are a few sites in Google Maps where you can clearly see the high-resolution data.

Downtown Portland, OR.  Data are sourced from the Oregon LiDAR Consortium managed by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI).  Note obvious building foundations, hillslope modifications, etc.:

View Larger Map

Edge of LiDAR near Washington Park in Portland - bare earth LiDAR on the east side, 10 m (?) data on the west:

View Larger Map

LiDAR bare earth data near Beverly Hills, CA.  I’m not sure of the origin of these data - does anyone know if the original LiDAR point cloud and DEM data are publicly available?:

View Larger Map

Obvious seam between LiDAR grids and lower resolution terrain data north of Yorba Linda, CA:

View Larger Map

Finally, the very impressive Mount Saint Helens data.  Presumably these are the data collected by NASA in partnership with USGS in 2003-2004 during a period of significant volcanic activity:

View Larger Map

It is really nice to see these high-resolution terrain datasets making it into such a common and easily accessible platform like Google Maps.  OpenTopography provides network-linked KMZ files to deliver LiDAR derived imagery data to Google Earth so that they are available to non-expert users, and direct incorporation of these data into the Google Maps terrain layer takes the accessibility of these data one step further.  As the number of public domain LiDAR data collections increases, I’d expect that we’ll see more examples of LiDAR appearing in maps and online visualizations accessible to the general public. 

An interesting, and logical follow on question to LiDAR in Google Maps, is when will Google will tackle the integration of high-resolution terrain data into the topographic mesh in Google Earth?  For the Earth science community, 1 meter terrain data in Google earth would be revolutionary.

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Workshops on Interoperability/Technology and Education/Outreach aspects of Geoinformatics

Posted on Fri, July 30, 2010 by Chris Crosby in Workshops

The following workshop, to be held September 23 and 24, 2010 at the USGS-Denver Federal Center, may be of interest to the OpenTopography community and researchers working on geoinformatics:

Workshops on Interoperability/Technology and Education/Outreach aspects of Geoinformatics - working towards a National Geoinformatics Community

Workshop overview:
Building on the experience gathered from previous workshops on geoinformatics, the academic community has the opportunity to be directly involved in planning and coordinating future efforts in geoinformatics research and learning.  The main objectives of these workshops are to identify the best ways to integrate and share data and knowledge from different fields in the geosciences, focus geoinformatics research and education priorities, and build a National Geoinformatics Community (NGC).  Important to this is to address aspects related to interoperability/technology and education/outreach.  The vision for NGC is to advance geoinformatics at all levels via outreach, advocacy, and fostering communities of practice. The NGC concept has evolved from numerous workshops, town hall meetings, and the work of an exploratory committee in meetings with existing and successful community efforts such as UNAVCO, IRIS, Ocean Leadership (formerly JOI), and CUAHSI.

We invite participation in the two-day workshop to establish the National Geoinformatics Community.  The first day and a half will be run as two parallel, separate workshops: one for interoperability/technology and the other for education/outreach.  The two groups will meet for the last half-day to review results and plan for future activities and establishing the NGC.  The workshops will be held at the USGS, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO.

More information about the workshop and application information are available at: http://ngc.usgin.org/WorkshopsOnInteroperability.htm

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Global Forest Heights Map From NASA LIDAR and MODIS Data

Posted on Wed, July 21, 2010 by Chris Crosby in News

A press release from NASA yesterday highlights the first global map of forest canopy heights created from ICESat LiDAR and MODIS data.  The map, produced by Dr. Michael Lefsky at Colorado State University, is the first of its kind generated with a uniform methodology and has important applications for developing global carbon budgets.  Specifically, the map “will help scientists build an inventory of how much carbon the world’s forests store and how fast that carbon cycles through ecosystems and back into the atmosphere”.

The global ICESat LiDAR coverage allows this kind of comprehensive mapping of the forest height globally:

Lidar can capture vertical slices of forest canopy height by shooting pulses of light at the ground and observing how much longer it takes for light to bounce back from the surface than from the top of the forest canopy. Since lidar can penetrate the top layer of forest canopy, it provides a detailed snapshot of the vertical structure of a forest.

“Lidar is unparalleled for this type of measurement,” Lefsky said. “It would have taken weeks or more to collect the same amount of data in the field by counting and measuring tree trunks that lidar can capture in seconds.”

OpenTopography and partners from UNAVCO and the National Snow and Ice Data Center have funding from NASA to provide integrated access to existing NASA LiDAR data products from ICESat and LVIS, as well as on-demand processing capability, and enhanced QA/QC metrics to make these data more easily accessible and usable to a range of scientists.  Once implemented, access to these data will be available through the OpenTopography Portal.  Read more about the NASA LiDAR Access System (NLAS) project.

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Virtual tectonics session at 2010 GSA meeting

Posted on Tue, July 20, 2010 by Chris Crosby in Google Earth • Meetings

Yet another session at the 2010 Geological Society of America Meeting in Denver that may be of interest to the OpenTopography community.  Announcement via the GEOMOD-LIDAR-L list:

Good afternoon,

We would like to call your attention to a topical session (oral) at the national GSA meeting in Denver in October:

T145. Virtual Tectonics
GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division; GSA Geoscience Education Division; GSA Geoinformatics Division; GSA Geology and Society Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Declan G. De Paor, S.J Whitmeyer

Application of virtual reality to tectonics: virtual field trips, LiDAR, Gigapans, Google Earth, Second Life, virtual specimens, animations, simulations of tectonic and neotectonic processes, interactive maps, lunar and planetary VR, and the geology of exoplanets.

We encourage abstract submissions on topics that focus on using modern digital technology and/or cyber-based tools to address any variety of Earth or Planetary tectonics-related topics. In addition, we encourage abstracts that address education and/or research oriented themes.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, and remember that the deadline for abstract submissions is August 10. The link for abstract submissions is: http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2010AM/top/papers/index.cgi?sessionid=25815

cheers -

Steve Whitmeyer (whitmesj@jmu.edu)
Declan De Paor (ddepaor@odu.edu)

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