GIS in Education

Job: Tenure-track Faculty Position at Louisiana State University

2012-01-30T12:35:00.001-06:00

The Louisiana State University Department of Geography and Anthropology invites applications for the following tenure-track positions, with anticipation of funding in Aug 2012, at the Assistant Professor rank.

1. GIS Science with a focus on Remote Sensing - Reference #001071
Required Qualifications: A PhD degree in Geography or a related field is required at the time of appointment. Candidates should have a strong background in Geographical Information Science, a promising program of research, a strong potential for external funding, and excellence in teaching and graduate mentoring.
Desired Qualifications: The ideal candidate should be specialized in applications in one or more of the following areas: coastal environment, hazards, human and social dynamics, and climate change.

2. Climatologist - Reference #019004
Required Qualifications: A PhD degree in Geography or a related field is required at the time of appointment. Candidates should have a promising program of research, a strong potential for external funding, and excellence in teaching and graduate mentoring.

Desired Qualifications: Candidates in all climatology specialties will be considered with preference given to those with research interests in: coastal processes, climate and adaptation, regional climate downscaling, and/or climatology of extreme events.

Additional Information: Summer research funding opportunities exist with the Southern Regional Climate Center (SRCC), Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP), or the South Central Climate Science Center (SCCSC).

Visit our web site at http://ga.lsu.edu for more information about the department and research programs. Contact the chair of the department via email at gachair@lsu.edu for further information regarding these positions.

The application deadline is March 1, 2012 or until a candidate is selected.

Connecting GeoMedia and ERDAS IMAGINE

2012-01-26T00:30:00.000-06:00

Intergraph Corporation announces the availability of Live Link, connecting GeoMedia and ERDAS IMAGINE. For the first time, users can leverage GeoMedia's rich set of vector handling tools and ERDAS IMAGINE's raster capabilities to support synchronized data sharing, viewing, editing, updating, and analysis.

"Users can now enjoy truly connected image processing and GIS products from a single provider, not only simplifying purchasing and maintenance, but also providing a stronger, more streamlined geospatial workflow," said Mladen Stojic, Vice President Geospatial, Intergraph. "With this new capability, end-users can integrate comprehensive spatial information and technology with business systems and applications to simultaneously strengthen their responsiveness to customers with a holistic view of a given geography."

GeoMedia is a powerful GIS management package that enables users to realize the maximum value of their geospatial resources, integrating them into present clear, actionable information. ERDAS IMAGINE incorporates geospatial image processing and analysis and remote sensing capabilities into a single powerful, convenient package.

Now connected, users can leverage these two products together, integrating accurately processed imagery and terrain data from ERDAS IMAGINE for critical GIS and CAD updates, along with GeoMedia's comprehensive toolset for managing and analyzing GIS resources.

Within ERDAS IMAGINE, users have access to a sophisticated set of assisted feature collection capabilities and quantitative image processing that supports change detections and the extraction of details about the earth, such as land cover, vegetation health and impervious surface information.

GeoMedia provides simultaneous access to geospatial data in almost any form, uniting them in a single map view for efficient processing, analysis, presentation and sharing. Its dynamic analysis functionality enables concatenation of analysis processes so the results of one operation feed directly into the next process, as well as automatic updating of results in response to data changes.

"By interacting with a single provider for both image processing and GIS needs, users now have a more simplified experience – saving time and reducing costs," added Vince Smith, GeoMedia Product Line Executive, Intergraph. "In addition, under the stewardship of a single organization, our products can evolve to meet ever-changing market demands while maintaining their close compatibility. We will also be able to provide more knowledgeable assistance for both products before and after their purchases."

Intergraph will be hosting a webinar on January 25, 2012, entitled "Leveraging ERDAS IMAGINE within GeoMedia Workflows," as well as another webinar on January 26, 2012, "Using GeoMedia to Enhance ERDAS IMAGINE Workflows." Both webinars will address key ways users can realize the maximum value of their geospatial resources with this combined offering.

SOURCE Intergraph

GI_Forum 2012: Geoinformatics Forum Salzburg

2012-01-23T19:42:00.000-06:00

GI_Forum 2012 – Linking Geovisualization, Society & Learning
3-6 July, 2012, Salzburg, Austria

GI_Forum 2012 offers full-fledged, intertwined tracks on GIScience & Technology and Learning with GI with a focus on geovisualization, society and learning, and their inter-relationships. The interdisciplinary GI_Forum focuses on an international audience, communicating in English, and sharing an interest in translating theory, methods and techniques into a broad range of GI application domains. Young researchers are especially invited to contribute and discuss their research; together with established scientists they will find a vibrant community from academia, business, and education to analyse progress and to explore new research directions.

GI_Forum runs concurrently with the highly regarded German language conference on Applied Geoinformatics – AGIT (www.agit.at). The two symposia share the innovative AGIT EXPO exhibit and stimulating social events.

Submission deadline February 1, 2012.

More information: www.gi-forum.org, Contact: office@gi-forum.org.

Descartes Systems Group Acquires GeoMicro

2012-01-23T19:38:00.000-06:00

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in logistics technology, acquired GeoMicro, Inc., a leading California-based provider of advanced geographic information systems (GIS) and commercial turn-by-turn navigation.

GeoMicro's cutting-edge GIS platform enables advanced routing, navigation, field service, and spatial data business intelligence solutions. It supports a full range of advanced GIS services, including high performance map display, geo-location, commercial vehicle route calculation, spatial data querying, and turn-by-turn navigation suitable for commercial and hazardous material route use. GeoMicro's solutions help customers to precisely locate assets and resources in motion, reduce the cost and time of deliveries, and increase driver safety & compliance.

"Geographic location is fundamental to logistics and a key element of many business decisions," said Edward Ryan, Chief Commercial Officer at Descartes. "By adding GeoMicro's technology and services to our Logistics Technology Platform, our customers can access the advanced geographical information processing that is critical to efficient logistics operations."

Historically, GIS solutions have been used with mobile resource management applications, such as Descartes' Routing, Mobile, and Telematics suite, to identify commercial road restrictions and hazardous material approved routes, and to provide commercial turn-by-turn navigation. By combining GeoMicro's technology with Descartes' Logistics Technology Platform, Descartes customers can leverage GIS technologies in new ways on Descartes' cloud-based Global Logistics Network, such as to verify addresses or track shipments, inventory, conveyance units and resources.

"Logistics-intensive businesses face complicated challenges that require GIS functions to be deeply embedded within the location-based services their preferred technology partners provide," said Arthur Mesher, Descartes' Chairman and CEO. "Working closely with customers, we recognized the need to extend our cloud-based Logistics Technology Platform's GIS capabilities to provide solutions that not only meet today's geographic information needs, but also scale to address future technology opportunities such as crowd-sourced location traffic and road network services."

For more information about GeoMicro, Inc, view www.geomicro.com.

2011 is 9th Warmest Year on Record Says NASA

2012-01-20T09:24:00.001-06:00

The global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, according to NASA scientists. The finding continues a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000.

NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, which monitors global surface temperatures on an ongoing basis, released an updated analysis that shows temperatures around the globe in 2011 compared to the average global temperature from the mid-20th century. The comparison shows how Earth continues to experience warmer temperatures than several decades ago. The average temperature around the globe in 2011 was 0.92 degrees F (0.51 C) warmer than the mid-20th century baseline.

The first 11 years of the 21st century experienced notably higher temperatures compared to the middle and late 20th century. The only year from the 20th century in the top 10 warmest years on record is 1998.

Higher temperatures today are largely sustained by increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. These gases absorb infrared radiation emitted by Earth and release that energy into the atmosphere rather than allowing it to escape to space. As their atmospheric concentration has increased, the amount of energy "trapped" by these gases has led to higher temperatures.

IDRISI Selva Software Unveiled

2012-01-17T00:43:00.000-06:00

Clark Labs is pleased to announce the upcoming release of the 17th version of the IDRISI geospatial software for monitoring and modeling the Earth system. The IDRISI Selva software incorporates major revisions to its Land Change Modeler and Earth Trends Modeler applications. It also includes a variety of new analytical techniques, optimizations to current modules and additional import/export options.

IDRISI’s Land Change Modeler application for the modeling, prediction and impact assessment of land cover change now includes major modeling enhancements and special tools to support REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). These include accounting methodologies required for REDD projects, such as the estimation of baseline emissions from various carbon pools and the calculation of deferred emissions and carbon credits. A pioneering Land Cover Change modeling procedure, following the recently published SimWeight methodology, is now also included, as well as an integrated interface to the Maxent software for species distribution modeling.

IDRISI Selva introduces substantial enhancements to its revolutionary Earth Trends Modeler application for the analysis of patterns and trends in earth observation image time series. Particular emphasis has been given to the provision of new tools for the analysis of coupled systems (such as the oceans and atmosphere). These include Extended PCA/EOF, Multi-channel Singular Spectrum Analysis, Extended EOT, Multichannel EOT and Canonical Correlation Analysis.

IDRISI Selva delivers a variety of new display elements and enhancements for map compositions. Firstly, the new version eliminates the 32,000 row/column limitation on both the display and processing of images. IDRISI Selva additionally includes a new pyramid file structure for the rapid display of large image files, and a new automatic arrangement feature for the display of map compositions. With IDRISI Selva, vector field plots showing magnitude and direction, such as wind speed and direction, are now supported.

IDRISI has the largest support for image classifiers in the industry, and Selva continues its groundbreaking support of machine learning procedures, adding a Radial Basis Function classifier to its existing suite of MLP, SOM and Fuzzy Artmap neural networks.
To learn more details about these and other features in IDRISI Selva, you may download the What’s New brochure. IDRISI Selva is currently available for pre-order.

Clark Labs is dedicated to the research and development of geospatial technologies for effective and responsible decision making for environmental management, sustainable resource development and equitable resource allocation.

SOURCE Clark Labs

GeoEYE Keynote Presentation at Google Geospatial Awareness Day

2012-01-14T21:34:00.000-06:00

Watch the GeoEYE Keynote Presentation at the Google Geospatial Awareness Day.

Video:

Free High Resolution OrbView Satellite Images

2012-01-11T00:22:00.000-06:00

Free High Resolution OrbView Satellite Images. OrbView-3 satellite images collected around the world between 2003 and 2007 by Orbital Imaging Corporation (now GeoEye) at up to one-meter resolution can now be downloaded at no cost through USGS EarthExplorer.

"This is a significant addition to the USGS archive and a valuable resource for the global science community," said Matthew Larsen, Associate Director, Climate and Land Use Change. "Free access through the USGS archive amplifies the utility of the data, making it feasible for many researchers to study large areas at this level of accuracy."

"Partnering with GeoEye brings forward an important commercial resource in response to the need for authoritative, information-rich data about the land surface of the planet," said Bruce Quirk, USGS Land Remote Sensing Program manager.

The OrbView-3 dataset includes 180,000 scenes of one meter resolution panchromatic, black and white, and four meter resolution multi-spectral (color and infrared) data, providing high resolution data useful for a wide range of science applications.

"The Land Cover Office of the Netherlands is already using this OrbView-3 data as a critical input to developing a global land cover data file," Quirk continued. "In addition, the high resolution of this data permits validation of land cover categories produced by moderate resolution data."

The initial data format available is GeoEye's Basic Enhanced (L1B) product. However, processing to a systematically terrain corrected (L1Gst) product is also available on demand. Eventually, the entire data set will be processed to the L1Gst level.

The OrbView-3 dataset joins over 170 separate collections of aerial photography and space-based data cataloged in the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive and available through USGS EarthExplorer.

MapMart Cloud Officially Revealed

2012-01-09T11:38:00.000-06:00

MapMart Cloud Web Mapping Service has been developed to serve up the most current and highest quality geospatial data available in a fast and easy way to GIS and non-GIS users alike. The data sets include the CORE data with wide a selection of Aerial, Satellite, Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and Topographic maps, plus Premium Data providing the highest resolution Aerial and Satellite data currently available from the major data providers including, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Intermap, and Astrium.

Access to the data is provided by flexible pricing models, either a pay as you go (price per map view) or subscription; whichever better suits your needs.

MapMart Cloud Hosting operates in a similar manner to the MapMart Cloud though it is much more customizable. Your company data can be hosted and accessed in the same manner as the WMS services from MapMart. New aerial imagery flight requests and more in-depth project management are possible using the MapMart On-Demand system.

Request for more information here.

Traffic Pro Captures Real-Time Traffic in India

2012-01-09T11:34:00.000-06:00

NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world, today launched its renowned NAVTEQ Traffic Pro real-time traffic service in India, delivering comprehensive, real-time traffic information to more than 26 million people in the country's two largest cities by population, Delhi and Mumbai.

Research shows drivers in India who use traffic-enabled navigation on a regular basis can spend 18% less time sitting in congestion over those that don't — the equivalent to almost three days saved on the road each year. Additionally, the findings show that drivers with real-time traffic experience reductions in distance traveled as well as increase fuel efficiency which could lead to a decrease in CO2 emissions per driver of 628 kilograms, or 23% less than a driver without a navigation system*.

NAVTEQ Traffic Pro is a robust, real-time traffic service offering superior coverage wherever consumers drive. It delivers detailed information about traffic speeds on motorways, main and secondary roads to enable more accurate estimated arrival times. The service is currently available in 24 countries** where it powers a vast array of connected devices including in-car navigation systems, personal navigation devices, mobile phones, smart pads and web sites.

Based on the world's most diverse traffic collection network, NAVTEQ Traffic Pro provides peerless traffic information so consumers know where and when to drive to save time, fuel and frustration. NAVTEQ aggregates and analyzes traffic data from a vast wealth of sources, including the world's largest compilation of both commercial and consumer probe data, the world's largest fixed proprietary sensor network, event-based data collected from government sources, and billions of historical traffic records.

"The launch of NAVTEQ Traffic Pro in India is another important milestone in our commitment to provide the highest quality, global traffic solution to our customers and commuters," said Ogi Redzic, vice president for NAVTEQ Traffic. "Mumbai and Delhi are two of the world's most densely populated cities, which can be particularly challenging when it comes to helping people avoid traffic congestion. NAVTEQ's unique expertise in global traffic processing provides an accurate and seamless traffic solution that will save travelers in India time, fuel and frustration."

NAVTEQ has built its reputation not only on the quality of its data, but also creating products that meet the unique demands of the Indian travelers. The latest commercially released version of the NAVTEQ map of India map is available for more than 2,200 cities throughout India, covers 6.47 million POIs (Points of Interest) across 1.19 million km of the national road network.

About NAVTEQ
NAVTEQ is the leading global provider of location content in the form of maps, traffic and places data that enables navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world. NAVTEQ supplies precise, comprehensive location content to power automotive navigation systems, portable and wireless devices, Internet-based mapping applications and government and business solutions. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 5,800 employees located in 200 offices in 54 countries.

For more information on NAVTEQ, please visit http://corporate.navteq.com . This NAVTEQ press release and other news is available at http://press.navteq.com. Join NAVTEQ on Facebook at facebook.com/ NAVTEQCompany and Twitter at @NAVTEQ.

Ice Dataset on CryoSat App for iPad and iPhone

2012-01-07T21:43:00.000-06:00

Discover ESA’s ice mission, track it in real time and obtain the latest measurements with the new CryoSat app for iPhone and iPad. CryoSat is measuring the thickness of polar sea ice and monitoring changes in the ice sheets that blanket Greenland and Antarctica.

The CryoSat iPhone and iPad application – or CryoSatApp – is now available at Apple's App Store.

CryoSatApp’s main menu provides access to four sections: mission description, a 3D model of the satellite, position tracking and data visualisation.

In the first section, users can easily find information on the CryoSat mission, including images, videos, archived news and an overview of how CryoSat obtains and delivers data.

The 3D model feature allows users to zoom in on how the satellite is built and discover its instruments – such as the radar altimeter for measuring ice thickness.

Information on CryoSat’s current position is automatically updated, including its visibility over selected ground stations. Users can also track the satellite’s position in relation to the iPhone or iPad’s geographical location.

But it’s the data feature that makes this app unique. Not only does it give access to all of CryoSat’s measurements, it can help you visualise the ice sheets by providing a vertical profile over the area.

All geophysical parameters stored in the CryoSat products can be easily displayed at the touch of your fingertips as soon as they are generated on the ground. Users can select the day and orbit from which they want to extract the data, and view Earth’s ice profile from that orbit.

This is a remarkable tool for students and scientists engaged in using CryoSat products.

ESA has a new Earth Observation Data Policy, which allows for free and open access to satellite data.

Since its launch in April 2010, CryoSat-2 has been collecting data to improve our understanding of the relationship between ice and climate.

In June 2011, the first map of Arctic sea-ice thickness was unveiled. The satellite will continue to monitor the changing ice for years to come.

SOURCE ESA Portal

Detecting Smoke Particles From Dust

2012-01-07T21:39:00.000-06:00

Where there's smoke, you need a functioning smoke detector that can tell the difference between, say, smoke particles and dust. Yet in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station, telling the difference between an actual fire and a false alarm may not be so simple.

To understand how best to detect smoke in space, researchers from NASA's Glenn Research Center flew the Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment, or SAME, aboard the space station. This experiment was originally conducted in 2007 and ran a second time in 2011.

"SAME had various spacecraft materials that we would overheat to make smoke. We sampled the smoke with devices that were set up to measure the particle size distribution. That, in turn, could allow us to develop a reliable and accurate early warning system," said David Urban, principal investigator for the experiment at NASA’s Glenn Research Center.

Fire is commonly detected by measuring changes in the amount of airborne microscopic particles in smoke. Among other things, smoke can include soot, ash, polymers, solids and even liquids. Soot dominates the smoke of an open-flame fire. More complex products are common in the early stages of a fire, in smoldering fires, and in charring and scorching. It is the early stage of fire that is the target for a space-based fire detection system.

"Smoke detectors currently in use on the space station are based on detectors used on Earth where gravity [1-g] dominates. Other than what we've learned from this experiment, all we know about smoke is based upon our 1-g experience," Urban said. "Our first experiments suggested that fires in low gravity could actually have more time for development of smoke particles. The particle size appears to be different enough that it impacts the best design for smoke detectors. The goal is to make a smoke detector that functions in low gravity and has a very low probability of false alarm. To achieve that, you need to know what the particle size is apart from the background nuisance sources like dust."

In the initial SAME experiment there was an issue with the Transmission Electron Microscopy, or TEM, grids used to collect smoke samples.

"Unbeknownst to us, somewhere in the assembly process of the TEM grids of the earlier experiment, they became contaminated. It was hard to tell what was smoke and what was contamination," Urban said.

Because of this, the project team repeated the experiment with new samples. All the testing hardware was still in place on the space station. All that was needed was to remake the samples and ensure that the grids were contamination free.

In the time between the runs of the investigation, NASA Glenn engineers worked with academics to develop the Multi-Parameter Aerosol Scattering Sensor, or MPASS, which measures and characterizes particulates in real time. R&D Magazine named the device an R&D 100 award winner, a prestigious honor that recognizes significant new research developments.

According to researchers, the new device was developed partially based on information from the first run of SAME. Launching it as part of the second run of the investigation in 2011 capitalized on that knowledge.

"MPASS replaced an existing commercial device that measured one of the three moments of smoke, concentration. MPASS provided that measurement and it also gave us the additional measurement of surface area. Surface area is garnering a lot of interest in the health arena. The device was designed to not only gain some concentration measurements of the particles, but also to get some size measurements. So you could eventually develop the logic that could tell the difference between smoke and dust. A future smoke detector could say, 'This aerosol does not have the proper size distribution. I don’t think it's smoke,'" MPASS developer Paul Greenberg, NASA Glenn, said.

The concept may find uses on Earth where knowing about particle size could be critical. Having a small, portable sensor could help in emergency situations for first responders and others where there may be respiratory concerns.

"Accurate detection of smoke in these environments can save lives," Greenberg said.

Researchers can use the data from SAME and MPASS to advance the understanding of fundamental science. By knowing more about the behavior of smoke and particles in low gravity, better nuisance-free early warning systems can be developed for both spacecraft and homes. At the same time, the sensor concept could prove useful in measuring air particles in other extreme environments, such as on submarines and in underwater laboratories, as well as in non-emergency environments like mines and factories.

SOURCE NASA's Glenn Research Center

SPIE Conference on Optical Engineering + Applications 2012

2012-01-05T10:30:00.000-06:00

Present your work at SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications 2012, the
premier conference for the latest developments in optical design and engineering, photonic devices, as well as space optical systems, x-ray/EUV optics, remote sensing, information processing, solid state lighting, and more.

Submit your papers. Abstracts are due 30 January 2012.

If accepted, your research will be published in the SPIE Digital Library and will be accessible to thousands of cutting-edge researchers.

Papers will be accepted in these areas:

• Illumination Engineering
• Optical Design and Systems Engineering
• Advanced Metrology
• Photonics Devices and Applications
• Image and Signal Processing
• X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and Particle Technologies
• Remote Sensing
• Atmospheric and Space Optical Systems

Special Programs:
• The Nature of Light: Light in Nature
• Optics Education and Outreach
• Photonic Innovations and Solutions for Complex Environments and Systems
• Tribute to William Wolfe

Conference details:

SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications 2012
12 - 16 August 2012
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, California, USA

More info is in this PDF file.

National Geographic World Basemap by Esri, Released

2012-01-05T01:24:00.000-06:00

In cooperation with National Geographic, Esri released the National Geographic World Map. Esri and National Geographic collaborated to produce a distinctive basemap that reflects National Geographic's cartographic design, typographic style, and map policies. Designed to be aesthetically pleasing, the National Geographic World Map is for users who want to display minimal data on a vibrant, highly detailed background. The map is currently available at ArcGIS Online in the basemap gallery.

The new basemap combines a century-old cartographic tradition with the power of GIS technology to produce a distinctive Internet-based map service serving GIS, consumer, education, and mobile users. This new map will be added to Esri's collection of existing basemap services designed for different uses and needs. All Esri basemaps are freely accessible for internal- and external-facing sites.

To access the National Geographic basemap now, visit ArcGIS Online.

Free PDF Maps Viewer for iPad

2012-01-03T13:15:00.000-06:00

Avenza Systems has made mobile GIS technology available on Apple iOS devices for everybody to use.

The free PDF Maps viewer app is a geospatial PDF, GeoPDF and GeoTIFF reader for your Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices. Easily download, browse and interact with maps. It compliments MAPublisher and Geographic Imager, both of which have the ability to export to geospatial PDF and GeoTIFF. The formats are also supported by common GIS applications including ArcGIS.

PDF Maps is used by companies, organizations and individuals for navigation, information collection, and sharing geographic information and knowledge.

Find PDF Maps on the iTunes store.

Video:

New Chairman for EuroGeographics’ network of cadastre and land registry specialists

2012-01-03T13:08:00.000-06:00

EuroGeographics has announced that Julius Ernst from Austria’s Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying is the new Chair of its Cadastre & Land Registry Knowledge Exchange Network (C&LR KEN). Mr Ernst succeeds Professor Bengt Kjelsson who has become Director General of The Swedish Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registry Authority.

The C&LR KEN is one of five knowledge exchange networks within the Association for National Cadastral, Land Registry and Mapping Authorities. Its members are working to provide state-of-the-art services for the diverse range of users in property and land information markets. These include policy makers and those from the environmental, housing, transportation, agriculture and tourism sectors. The group, which also comprises members from the National Survey and Cadastre, Denmark; National Land Survey of Finland; Federal Office of Topography, Switzerland; and Cadastre and Land Registry Agency, The Netherlands, works closely with a wide range of related organisations such as the EU Permanent Committee on Cadastre (PCC), the European Land Registry Association (ELRA) and the European Land Information Service (EULIS).

“More than half of EuroGeographics’ members are responsible for developing and maintaining national cadastres and land registers ,” says Mr Ernst. “These are an integral part of both national and international spatial data infrastructures and a vital component of the European Location Framework, forming the backbone of land administration and the property market by providing the link between financial, legal, environmental, land use, valuation, agricultural and zoning information.”

“Accurate and authoritative information about the cadastral parcel and the legal rights and restrictions on land and property are vital to the vitality of the European economy. Providing secure access to all relevant information and transactions in electronic form, in one place, online is increasingly important to financial institutions, the legal profession and investors. Our members recognise the crucial role they play in providing reliable land and property information, facilitating a vibrant property market for individuals and investors and upholding the rights of citizens across Europe to have their assets securely registered.”

EuroGeographics’ knowledge exchange networks, which also focus on business interoperability; European policy; quality; and implementation of the INSPIRE Directive, bring together experts from its member organisations to share best practice, exchange experiences and discuss the day-to-day issues facing all national cadastral, land registry and mapping authorities. GI professionals can contribute to these debates by registering at www.eurogeoforum.eu, an online resource for facilitating the exchange of views and information.

For further information please contact:

Dave Lovell
EuroGeographics’ Secretary General and Executive Director
+32 2 888 71 93, +32 848 663 345 (mobile)
email: dave.lovell@eurogeographics.org;

Patricia Sokacova
EuroGeographics‘ Membership and Communication Manager
+421 903 056 418/+421 948 388 908
email: patricia.sokacova@eurogeographics.org; or

Rhian French
+44 1264 338375, +447892 698 350 (mobile)
email: press@eurogeographics.org.

Free Global Multi-resolution Terrain Elevation Data 2010 (GMTED2010)

2012-01-02T01:26:00.000-06:00

Data format: Raster Dataset - GRID
File or table name: GMTED2010
Coordinate system: Geographic

Theme keywords: Global Elevation, GMTED2010, Digital Elevation Model

Abstract: The Global Multi-resolution Terrain Elevation Data 2010 (GMTED2010) provides a new level of detail in global topographic data. Previously, the best available global DEM was GTOPO30 with a horizontal grid spacing of 30 arc-seconds. The GMTED2010 product suite contains seven new raster elevation products for each of the 30-, 15-, and 7.5-arc-second spatial resolutions and incorporates the current best available global elevation data. The new elevation products have been produced using the following aggregation methods: minimum elevation, maximum elevation, mean elevation, median elevation, standard deviation of elevation, systematic subsample, and breakline emphasis. Metadata have also been produced to identify the source and attributes of all the input elevation data used to derive the output products. Many of these products will be suitable for various regional continental-scale land cover mapping, extraction of drainage features for hydrologic modeling, and geometric and radiometric correction of medium and coarse resolution satellite image data. The global aggregated vertical accuracy of GMTED2010 can be summarized in terms of the resolution and RMSE of the products with respect to a global set of control points (estimated global accuracy of 6 m RMSE) provided by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). At 30 arc-seconds, the GMTED2010 RMSE range is between 25 and 42 meters; at 15 arc-seconds, the RMSE range is between 29 and 32 meters; and at 7.5 arc-seconds, the RMSE range is between 26 and 30 meters. GMTED2010 is a major improvement in consistency and vertical accuracy over GTOPO30, which has a 66 m RMSE globally compared to the same NGA control points. In areas where new sources of higher resolution data were available, the GMTED2010 products are substantially better than the aggregated global statistics; however, large areas still exist, particularly above 60 degrees North latitude, that lack good elevation data. As new data become available, especially in areas that have poor coverage in the current model, it is hoped that new versions of GMTED2010 might be generated and thus gradually improve the global model.

Access GMTED2010 Metadata.

Autodesk Stockholders Meeting Webcast

2012-01-02T01:21:00.000-06:00

WHAT: Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today announced that it will broadcast its special meeting of stockholders live via its website on Friday, January 6, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

DETAILS: A live webcast and audio archive will be available on www.autodesk.com/investors.

CONTACT: For more information, please call Autodesk Investor Relations at 415-507-6705.

OG2 Satellites To Launch Soon

2011-12-31T00:09:00.000-06:00

ORBCOMM Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) today announced the launch schedule for ORBCOMM’s second generation (OG2) satellites. The updated plan includes launching the first OG2 prototype satellite on the first Cargo Re-supply Services (CRS) mission in mid-2012, followed closely by an additional launch of two OG2 satellites into a high inclination orbit as a secondary payload in late 2012. In early 2013, SpaceX plans to launch eight to twelve OG2 satellites, and the remainder of the constellation of 18 OG2 satellites is expected to be launched in 2014. All launches are expected to be on Falcon 9 rockets.

In transitioning the launch of the first OG2 prototype spacecraft to the first CRS mission in lieu of the upcoming Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) mission, and adding the launch of two spacecraft toward the second half of 2012, ORBCOMM is able to field additional spacecraft in 2012 resulting in increased coverage, while spreading the deployment across multiple launches thereby reducing risk. SpaceX will fully verify the mission performance on the COTS mission and focus on the successful berthing of the Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS).

The inclusion of two OG2 satellites as a secondary payload on a high inclination insertion orbit will enable ORBCOMM to significantly improve messaging services in polar latitudes. Additionally, it provides the ability to thoroughly test and verify OG2 satellite performance before the primary launch of eight to twelve OG2 satellites.

“We are excited to put ORBCOMM’s second generation satellites into orbit as scheduled, in the most desirable inclinations with the least amount of risk.” said Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX. “ORBCOMM has been a great partner and we are looking forward to launch.”

“We are pleased that SpaceX has offered ORBCOMM this opportunity to launch two satellites that will help our customers using our OG2 messaging services, and additionally augment service to our maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS) customers that benefit from coverage at higher inclinations,” said Marc Eisenberg CEO of ORBCOMM. “The net outcome of these revised launch plans has us launching OG2 satellites at a faster pace with less risk.”

The parameters of the Falcon 9 launch of eight to twelve OG2 satellites as its primary mission in early 2013 will be optimized to ensure the best coverage for the enhanced OG2 messaging services. ORBCOMM expects several OG2 satellites will be directly inserted into a specific plane to immediately improve messaging services while other satellites will be put into a transfer orbit and drift to their final orbit location. ORBCOMM expects the drifting operation will take several months to occur and that the satellites will be functional and providing messaging services during this period.

Underwater Mapping Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

2011-12-28T09:17:00.000-06:00

Sri Lanka's marine researchers are planning to use aerial and underwater unmanned vehicles with remote sensing technology to study the oceans around the country, officials said.

Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Research Agency (NARA) wants to team up with the island's air force to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for marine search.

"They have experience from the war, which matches with the research needs," NARA chairman Hiran Jayewardene said.

Sri Lanka's military used UAVs extensively in a war with Tamil Tiger separatists which ended in May 2009.

Jayewardene, a marine researcher with international experience was invited back to head NARA, which was set up 30 years ago with his participation by the island's current fisheries minister Rajitha Senaratne.

Jayewardene helped develop methods now used to demarcate ocean bed allocations by the United Nations at the time he was a doctoral student at Cambridge University, Senaratne said.

NARA researchers are also in talks with the French oceanographic and geophysical research unit to collaborate on the use of underwater gliders for marine research.

"These gliders can be pre-programmed to go on a path, collect data and return," Kanapathipilli Arulanandan, who heads NARA's oceanography unit, said.

The gliders have sensors which can collect data on underwater conditions, including temperature and light levels at various depths, officials said.

"This is a wonderful tool for a small country like ours. We are hoping that the French will collaborate," Jayewardene said.

"It runs at approximately a one kilometer an hour, very slowly. And it uses very little energy and it can go deep down into the ocean; it can be programmed to gather data. It can go up and down it can go in a zigzag pattern, it can go in a vertical pattern.

"It periodically comes to the surface and it transmits data through satellite to the shore."

SOURCE Lanka Business Online

The Year in Infrastructure 2011 Edition Released by Bentley

2011-12-23T12:02:00.000-06:00

Bentley shares the innovation in best practices among the infrastructure professionals who make these projects possible by featuring their outstanding achievements across the globe in The Year in Infrastructure series of publications.

Today, Bentley released The Year in Infrastructure 2011 Edition. It is immediately available at www.bentley.com/YearInInfrastructure.

This 240-page yearbook highlights the extraordinary work of Bentley users improving the world’s infrastructure. It features descriptions and color images of the more than 300 project nominations recognized and 20 winners honored at the 2011 Be Inspired Awards ceremony, held last month at Bentley’s Be Inspired: Thought Leadership in Infrastructure event in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Bentley’s Be Inspired Awards competition acknowledges outstanding achievement and innovation in infrastructure design, construction, and operations. The winners are selected by independent panels of expert jurors representing a broad range of infrastructure disciplines.

Download Cloud eBook From Esri

2011-12-23T11:55:00.000-06:00

There's a new cloud ebook from Esri! Cloud computing furnishes technological capabilities that are delivered on demand as services via the Internet. This new e-book shows how cloud technology and architecture can be leveraged by the GIS community.

Cloud computing provides opportunities for organizations to become more cost-effective, productive, and flexible to rapidly deliver new capabilities.
The pay-as-you-go pricing model is often quite flexible when renting cloud applications or infrastructure, allowing prospective cloud clients to "try before they buy," while existing cloud consumers can pay in advance to take advantage of volume discounts and satisfy budget forecasting requirements. Renting assets shifts the duty of maintaining on-premises data centers to the cloud vendor, alleviating the customer's responsibility for software and hardware maintenance, ongoing operation, and support.

Ideally, cloud adopters should be confident that they are consuming state- of-the-art systems that are highly reliable and flexible enough to handle large traffic fluctuations. The burden, then, is on the vendor to scale and continually reinvest in the on-demand IT architecture and service so that consumers are consistently provided with a robust, updated solution.

Moving parts of the corporate data and computing center to the cloud also reduces the amount of fragmented infrastructure, driving down up-front capital spending. As monies are reallocated to be invested in core business, other initiatives could be launched to provide direct value to customers and employees, giving the organization a competitive advantage.

With increasing outsourcing and offshoring, leading to the creation of a global workforce, team productivity depends on the power of networks and the Internet as a common platform. As such, cloud services are available 24/7, accessible from any browser on any device regardless of time zone. This provides faster, easier access for workers to do their jobs, allowing competitive differentiation for the organization and, likewise, retaining and attracting valuable and talented staff.

Download the ebook here in PDF.

Postdoctoral Scientists - Ecology / Earth System / Conservation Science - Microsoft Research, Cambridge, UK

2011-12-22T10:17:00.000-06:00

Postdoctoral Scientists on Ecology / Earth System / Conservation Science at Microsoft Research, Cambridge, UK.

The Computational Ecology and Environmental Science (CEES) group at Microsoft Research seeks postdoctoral scientist applicants for two positions. The initial tenure is for two years, with the possibility of a third year extension.

Conservation Science: One position within the Conservation@Microsoft research unit. The goal of the research carried out within the group is to develop and accelerate better, predictive, actionable science in areas of societal (and by extension policy) importance. Areas of potential work may include (but are not limited to) conservation impact assessment, risk assessment, agricultural modelling, food security, early warning signals / leading indicators, ecosystem modelling, land-use change modelling, species discovery and extinction modelling.

Earth System Modelling: One position for an applicant able to make an important contribution to a pioneering new approach to earth system modelling. The CEES group is developing and refining approaches to producing more accurate, comparable and compatible earth system models and their components. We are seeking first-rate scientists with a passionate interest in, and scientific and technical ability to dramatically improve models of key earth system components such as marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Candidates must be interested in and be able and motivated to tackle significant methodological challenges (e.g., enabling detailed model intercomparisons, in accounting for, inferring, and propagating multiple sources of uncertainty and in enabling the identification of the optimal spatial, temporal and abstraction resolution).

We are looking for exceptional candidates. You will be a highly motivated early-career scientist with strong quantitative modelling skills, computational proficiency, an understanding of and desire to do research at the science-policy interface, and proven track record of publications in leading peer-reviewed journals. You will be expected to produce leading scientific research in the chosen area of work, publish results in top scientific journals, and interact closely with other members of the group and group collaborators.

These positions offer the opportunity to join a unique scientific lab that affords the successful candidate the opportunity to undertake world-leading scientific research and develop a position of future leadership in a chosen field. The Computational Science Lab at Microsoft Research offers a stimulating and rewarding working environment. The positions come with a very attractive salary and comprehensive benefits.

Applicants for the Conservation Science position should send a CV, contact details of three referees, and a short statement of interest to Dr. Lucas Joppa: lujoppa@microsoft.com.

Applicants for the Earth System Modelling position should send the above materials to Dr. Matthew Smith: Matthew.Smith@microsoft.com.

All applications must be received by February 6th, 2012.

China to Launch Ziyuan III High Resolution Mapping Satellite

2011-12-21T23:45:00.000-06:00

China will launch its first-ever high-resolution geological mapping satellite for civil purposes next January, according to official sources.

The Ziyuan III satellite will be launched aboard a Long March 4B carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China's Shanxi province, according to a conference held on Monday for the directors of surveying, mapping and geoinformation administrations across the nation.

The Ziyuan III's surveying covers the entire area between 84 degrees north latitude and 84 degrees south latitude.

The satellite will be used to conduct geological mapping, carry out surveys on land resources, help with natural disaster-reduction and prevention, and lend assistance to farming, water conservation, urban planning and other sectors.

The Ziyuan III satellite project was inaugurated on March 2008, and also includes gravity satellites, radar satellites and follow-up satellites for the Ziyuan III, so as to obtain geoinformation under all kinds of meteorological conditions.

SOURCE xinhuanet.com

Philippines Web GIS System Standards and Policies Reviewed

2011-12-20T17:21:00.000-06:00

The Regional Geographic Information Network (RGIN) has evaluated the proposed data standards and data policy of the Climate Change and Risk Reduction Information Support System Project (CRISP) to be presented to the RGIN meeting on January 27, 2012 and to the Regional Development Council in its 2012 1st Quarter Meeting for final approval and adoption.

The data standards and data policies include the information on Geographic Information System data structures for the project, and the data sharing policy and responsibilities of the members and other end-users of the GIS data.

During the review, immediate necessity of data during natural calamities and the cost of sustaining the system are also explored as factors to consider in the proposed sharing policy. The members also suggested to include the guidelines on data updating, uploading and deleting as well as the distribution and regulation of such to third parties.

All recommendations will be incorporated in the Operations Manual of the system.

The CRISP, a joint undertaking of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United States Agency for International Development (AusAID) and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), is a web-based information system that aims to establish a databank in support to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (CCA-DRR).

The implementation of the project is expected to run starting first quarter of next year. The CRISP will be adapted in all regions after its successful piloting region 2.

According to NEDA Knowledge Management Division Chief Ronilo H. Bulseco, the three cities in the region, Tuguegarao, Cauayan and Santiago shall also be encouraged to become part of the RGIN and they shall also be briefed on the project for wider and more accurate information system in local development planning.

SOURCE PIA.gov.ph