News Illustrated

Florida wildfires: Firefighters' strategies to extinguish the flames

Tue, 13 May 2008 17:13:24 -0500

So how do firefighters battle a blaze in the wild, wild east? See for yourself in this graphic we did last year when the rural communities in western Palm Beach County were faced with fire threat due to the drought. Firefighters adapt to the unique Florida terrain (by that I mean canals and lakes) to replenish water for fire trucks. What surprised me when I was doing my initial research is the use of bulldozers to create an area that the fire cannot jump. I always thought they either dug trenches or used drip torches.

Smoke in South Florida: Where is it coming from?

Tue, 13 May 2008 13:05:53 -0500

Maybe the satellites know. The Satellite Services Division (SSD) collects data for many environmental uses. In this situation satellites use data to analyze fires, smoke plumes and fire potential across North and Central America. To see the current status of fires and smoke check out the SSD: Fire Products page. The interactive map has many variables with the ability to zoom in and out of Canada, U.S. and Central America.

China earthquake: Monitor temblors around the world

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:34:03 -0500

A massive 7.8 earthquake struck China on Monday, possibly killing as many as 5,000 people. The quake hit at 2:28 EDT. The U.S. Geological Survey monitors earthquakes around the world and offers detailed information. The maps are updated daily.

Airborne Laser: Shooting down missiles in the sky

Mon, 12 May 2008 05:22:00 -0500

If you didn't see Sunday's New Illustrated page on the Air Force's "Airborne Laser," you can download it here. The page explains how the plane shoots down ballistic missiles and gives an in-depth view on how its nose turret and chemical laser works.

Laser in the sky: Air Force’s potential new weapon

Fri, 09 May 2008 16:25:08 -0500

Ok so you may have been wondering when was the guy with the “flat head” ever going to do a post? Well here it is... This video shows how the "nose turret" on an Air Force's Airborne Laser works, The ABL fires its powerful chemical laser through this turret to shoot down ballistic missiles in their boost phase. Looks Sci-fi huh? Well guess what, it may become reality in a couple of years. The ABL will be part of a missile defense system intended to protect U.S. territory from missile attacks. Contractors are currently working on this weapon which has so far totaled $4.3 billion. You can learn more about it in this Sundays News Illustrated page.

Myanmar flooding: Enhanced satellite images

Thu, 08 May 2008 10:05:18 -0500

This pair of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASAs Terra satellite use a combination of visible and infrared light to make floodwaters obvious. Water is blue or nearly black, vegetation is bright green, bare ground is tan, and clouds are white or light blue. AP Photo/NASA On the left: On April 15 (before the storm), rivers and lakes are sharply defined against a backdrop of vegetation and fallow agricultural land. The Irrawaddy River flows south through the left-hand side of the image. The wetlands near the shore are a deep blue green. On the right: Cyclone Nargis came ashore across the Mouths of the Irrawaddy and followed the coastline northeast. The entire coastal plain is flooded in the May 5 image.

Israel anniversary: Mapping the battles for statehood

Mon, 05 May 2008 10:15:41 -0500

May 14 marks the 60th anniversary of Israel's creation, so the Sun-Sentinel shared the stories of local survivors of the Israeli War of Independence in Sunday's Outlook section. My contribution was a large historical map and timeline showing how much land Israel gained from 1946 (when the first plan to create an Israeli and Arab state emerged) to June 1949 (end of the war). Yet, while the end result may look simple, rest assured this was a beast to put together. I had a book of historical maps as my source material, with a goal to fit 12 maps into one. But what is the best way to compact nearly 3 years of history and still make it look good? I went through about three or four sketches before coming up with my final one, but even then I spent a week tweaking, editing and redesigning the page to make the story flow correctly. My biggest concern was repeating too much information. For example, is it important to include a mini map of Israel's current boundaries? Or do I add them in the big map to show context but keep it subtle (I eventually chose this option). The moral of my story is that even with your best planning, the end result doesn't always turn out like the final sketch. See for yourself by comparing my sketches with the final page:

Paper Airplane Garage: Requiem to the Air & Sea Show

Fri, 02 May 2008 13:15:17 -0500

After more than 10 years, the Air & Sea Show has come to an end. It's a shame, if you ask me. It was fun and was always good fodder for graphics. For example, a few years ago, our competitors to the south were sponsoring the event so we decided to try and steal their thunder. We created a special section with a cut-out paper airplane, built an interactive graphic so readers could build and print planes online and produced a News Illustrated page explaining the aerodynamics. The research and development was particularly fun. At one point, our Managing Editor walked by the department and was nearly struck by a test plane that sailed through the door. Talk about not safe for work. So if you really miss the Air & Sea Show, hold an event at home. Build some planes and throw them in the air. We thought it a fitting farewell.

Holocaust Remembrance Day: A look back in history

Fri, 02 May 2008 11:54:00 -0500

May 1 is Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is a national day of commemoration to remember the World War II victims. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. is responsible for leading the country in the May memorial, and they even have a handy calendar that marks every holiday until 2016. However, this is not to be confused with the international holiday that is celebrated in January, with yearly events organized by the United Nations. So to commemorate, I'm offering you a copy of the 2005 News Illustrated page I worked on to coincide with a special project about 13 Holocaust survivors who live in South Florida and shared their survival stories. My full-page graphic shows where the concentration camps were located and the number of survivors after the war. Also, we ran a four-week series a few months later on the history and future of Israel and even put together a multimedia package that encompasses both series. This includes audio of the powerful stories told by the 13 Holocaust survivors themselves. And since the 60th anniversary of Israel's statehood is coming up on May 14, check out our special coverage in this Sunday's Outlook section. The same reporter, Tim Collie, who did the Survivors and Judaism series, interviewed local veterans of the Israeli War of Independence. And I built a News Illustrated that shows how Israel fought six Arab armies to claim most of the land they have today.

Kentucky Derby: Know your position when placing your bet

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:57:01 -0500

If you're one of the millions that will be watching or betting Saturday's race, make sure you pay attention to where your horse is positioned at the start of the race. This graphic I found on the wires shows the number of wins per pole position since 1900. And if your money is on Big Brown, pay particular attention to how many wins has gone to his spot. And if you need a little help on picking your favorites, check out this list of contenders from the Kentucky Derby. And stay logged on to the Sun-Sentinel sports for complete derby coverage. Or if you just want a little more to curb the wait, check out my 2006 News Illustrated that shows how good genes and training breed racing horses. I built this page after a sports editor mentioned how athletic these horses are (their leg muscles must make body builders weep). Because our sister paper, The Baltimore Sun, covers the Preakness race, I was inspired by one of their old graphics and used it as a guide to build mine.

A look at the economy: Depressing? I think so

Thu, 01 May 2008 12:20:37 -0500

Foreclosures are rising and so are gas and food prices. Even though the Commerce Department reported Thursday that consumer spending is up 0.4 percent, I think we are all feeling the crunch of rising living expenses. Above is a look at the rising foreclosure problem. Unfortunately, Florida is second worst in that department. Despite the rise in foreclosures, Florida is doing pretty well in terms of personal income, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. You can explore personal income and employment around the U.S. and take a look at GDP by state. The information is also available in charts. The Bureau of Economic Analysis has a lot of public information in interactive tables. Also, you can find tables showing the changing prices of food, gas and other commodities over the past 10 years here.

Tips to help you sell your home

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:15:18 -0500

Today's homeowners can get desperate to sell. Here are some tips to help you focus your efforts on preparing your home.

Tracking sea ice...and hearing it too!

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:51:14 -0500

This is a cool animation of the sea ice from January through December 2007 from NASA. The first part of video doesn't show much, because it's the winter months, but the last half shows the ice melting which is neat to see. There are also other animations of sea ice from past years. If you are interested in tracking the changes in the sea ice, the National Snow and Ice Data Center has set up a website for Arctic sea ice news and analysis. They give monthly updates on the ice and the conditions in the Arctic, graphics showing changes and other updates. Their website also has other information about sea ice in general and the processes, natural and otherwise, that are affecting it. On a lighter note, have you ever wondered what it's like to live under blocks of ice? I know I have. Here is a link to an acoustic live stream from underneath the Antarctic ice to give you an idea, not of what sights you'd see, but of what sounds you'd hear. I think I hear Mumble from Happy Feet tap dancing away down there... And if you didn't catch my News Illustrated page yesterday, you can download it here.

Ladies, seamen, 12 o'clock: Your guide to recognizing a sailor's rank and insignia

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:57:16 -0500

With Fleet Week nearly upon us, we thought we would trot out a guide to reading a sailor's uniform. The page dates from 2004 and serves as a guide to rank and medals. Of course, if you would rather know the ranks and insignias for the Marines, you can find them here. Anchors away!

Arctic sea ice is rapidly declining

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:47:40 -0500

Say what you will about global warming, but it is hard to deny the steady and fast loss of sea ice in the Arctic. These two images show sea ice extent at the end of the melting season in September. The top image is from 1979, the bottom image is from 2007. Pretty big difference, huh? The 2007 melting season set a new record for melting, which isn't good, because sea ice plays an important role in regulating climate and providing a habitat for some pretty cool animals, like the narwhal. Even if you have no particular feelings towards blocks of ice, you've got to admit the narwhal is worth saving. I'm mean, come on - it's got a tooth that's longer than you are tall. Check out my News Illustrated page in the Outlook section on Sunday to find out why the ice is melting so fast and how it's affecting the people and animals living in the Arctic.