Urban Signatures: Sensible Heat Flux (WMS)

Description:                                                                                                                  
This visualization shows sensible heat flux predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003157/a003157.kml

Urban Signatures: Latent Heat Flux (WMS)

Description:                                                                                                                   
This visualization shows latent heat flux predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003156/a003156.kml

Urban Signatures: Thermal Radiation (WMS)

Description:                                                                                                                     
This visualization shows outgoing thermal radiation predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003155/a003155.kml

 
Urban Signatures: Evaporation (WMS)

Description:                                                                                                                    
This visualization shows evaporation rates predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003154/a003154.kml

Urban Signatures: Temperature (WMS)

Description:                                                                                                                    
This visualization shows average surface temperature predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003152/a003152.kml

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Scene Identification Compared to Clouds (WMS)

Description:
By comparing the incoming solar radiation with the outgoing reflected and thermal radiation, it is possible to identify the type of area being viewed, whether it be land, clouds, ocean, or ice. This scene identification is used together with the radiation flux measurements to build up a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget over time.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003179/index.html

Average Total-sky Albedo (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows the monthly average albedo from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003000/a003090/a003090.kml

 
Average Clear-sky Albedo (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky albedo from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003000/a003089/a003089.kml

 
Average Total-sky Outgoing Shortwave Flux (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows the monthly average outgoing shortwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the sunlight that is directly reflected back into space by clouds, ice, desert, and other physical areas on the Earth.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003000/a003097/a003097.kml

Average Clear-sky Outgoing Shortwave Flux (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky outgoing shortwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the sunlight that is directly reflected back into space by ice, desert, and other physical areas on the Earth when the sky is cloud-free.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003000/a003096/a003096.kml

Average Total-sky Incoming Solar Flux (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows the monthly average incoming solar radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003000/a003095/a003095.kml

 
Average Total-sky Net Radiant Flux (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows the monthly average net radiant flux from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the incoming radiation minus the outgoing reflected or thermal energy given off by areas of the Earth.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003000/a003094/a003094.kml

 
Average Clear-sky Net Radiant Flux (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows the monthly clear-sky average net radiant flux from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the incoming radiation minus the outgoing reflected or thermal energy given off by areas of the Earth when the sky is cloud-free.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003000/a003093/a003093.kml

Average Total-sky Outgoing Longwave Flux (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows the monthly average outgoing longwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the thermal radiation given off by the warm Earth.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003000/a003092/a003092.kml

 
Average Clear-sky Outgoing Longwave Flux (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky outgoing longwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the thermal radiation given off by the warm Earth when the sky is cloud free.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003000/a003091/a003091.kml

Chapter 5

Description:
Near real time ocean data.

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/335650/an/0/page/0/vc/1

Chapter 6

Transatlantic Dust from North Africa (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows aerosol index over northern Africa and the Atlantic Ocean from July 1 through July 31, 2000.  Desert storms in northern Africa raise dust that is carried in the upper atmosphere across the Atlantic Ocean.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003133/a003133.kml

Global Cloud Map

Description:
This is a near real-time representation of the entire globe of clouds (updated every 3 hours)

 http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=373671

Intense Convective Storms Over Oklahoma,  1998/06/19

Description:
A 3-D animation of intense storms that occurred in Oklahoma in 1998.

 http://tsdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/tsdis/gis/data/1998_06_19.3204.oklahoma.kmz

Destructive Squall Line Over Florida, 1998/03/09

Description:
A 3-D animation of a squall line produces by a cold front over Florida in 1998.

http://tsdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/tsdis/gis/data/1998_03_09.1600.squall.kmz

Intense Isolated Convection over Africa, 2005/09/10

Description:
A 3-D animation of an intense storm over Africa in 2005.

http://tsdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/tsdis/gis/data/2005_09_10.44572.africa.kmz

 
Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico, 2005/08/28

Description:
A 3-D animation of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico in 2005

 http://tsdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/tsdis/gis/data/2005_08_28.44361.katrina.kmz

Global Lightning Accumulation (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows an accumulation of daily lightning climatology values for a typical year.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003143/a003143.kml

 Snow Cover over North America during the Winter of 2001-2002 (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows snow cover over North America during the winter of 2001-2002.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003000/a003027/a003027.kml

Chapter 9

Soil Moisture

Potential classroom uses:
Compare this kml file with Figure 18.9 (global soil taxonomy) from the text.  What types of soils are currently experiencing drought/wetness?  What properties of these soils might be contributing to the current moisture conditions?

Google Earth Water Supply Forecast Layer

Description:
Building upon the interactive visualization of SNOTEL snowpack and precipitation information, this complementary layer displays hydrologic outlooks produced cooperatively by the NRCS and National Weather Service (NWS).

Review Questions for Chapter 9:
Questions # 10, 13
Review Figures 9.12 & 9.13
How can Google Earth data be used to classify and predict drought?

Chapter 10

Tropospheric Ozone Impacts Global Climate Warming

Description:
Evaluation of how ozone in the lowest part of the atmosphere has changes over the last 100 years.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003300/a003338/a003338.kml

Description:
National Snow and Ice Data Center.  Contains data viewable in GE, and links to parent data.
               
Potential classroom uses:
Why does sea ice extent and thickness display such interannual variability? 

Global Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide in 2000 (WMS)

Description:
This visualization shows global carbon monoxide concentrations at the 500 millibar altitude in the atmosphere from March 1, 2000 through December 31, 2000. Areas in red have 200 parts per billion of carbon monoxide or more at that altitude (around 5,500 meters), while areas in blue are 50 parts per billion or less.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a002900/a002900/a002900.kml

Atmospheric Water Vapor during the 1998 La Niña (WMS)

Description:
This visualization shows the global water vapor distribution in gray and white and the global precipitation in yellow every hour from August 30, 1998 to September 20, 1998. The afternoon thunderstorms in the tropics are seen as a flashing yellow region that moves from east to west, following the sun.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a002900/a002901/a002901.kml

 Atmospheric Water Vapor during the 1997-1998 El Niño (WMS)

Description:
This visualization shows the global water vapor distribution in gray and white and the global precipitation in yellow every hour from December 20, 1997 to January 14, 1998. The afternoon thunderstorms in the tropics are seen as a flashing yellow region that moves from east to west, following the sun.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a002900/a002902/a002902.kml

 

Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies during El Nino/La Nina Event of 1997-1998 (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows El Nino and La Nina from 1997 through 1998. Each frame is a ten-day average of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies--that is, of differences from normal SST values. The area shown in the animation is the Pacific ocean from -20.5 to +20.5 latitude and +120.5 to +289.5 East longitude.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003135/a003135.kml
 

Sea Surface Height Anomalies during El Nino/La Nina Event of 1997-1998 (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows El Nino and La Nina from 1997 through 1998. Each frame is a ten-day average of sea surface height (SSH) anomalies—that is, of differences from normal SSH values. The area shown in the animation is the Pacific ocean from -20.5 to +20.5 latitude and +120.5 to +289.5 East longitude.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003142/a003142.kml

 
Wind Anomalies during El Nino/La Nina Event of 1997-1998 (WMS)

Description:
This animation shows El Nino and La Nina from 1997 through 1998. Each frame is a ten-day average of wind anomalies--that is, of differences from normal wind velocities. The area shown in the animation is the Pacific ocean from -21 to +21 latitude and +120 to +290 East longitude.

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003171/a003171.kml

Chapter 11

Sediment Deposition

Description:
Monthly global distribution of calcium carbonate on the seafloor (from 2000-2004).  Data provided by NASA (Terra satellite).

Review Questions for Chapter 11:
Questions # 11, 13, 15, 20, 21, 22 (refer to USGS earthquake data in ch. 12 when answering 20-22)
Review Figure 11.1

Chapter 12

Earthquakes

Description:
KML file displaying recent earthquakes (past seven days), put out by the USGS.  Contains magnitude, depth, and some “shakemap” data.  Also displays plate boundaries, color coded by boundary type.

Potential classroom uses:
 Compare the location of earthquakes to plate boundaries.  How is earthquake depth related to boundary type?   What  types of plate boundaries seem to  produce the greatest magnitude earthquakes?

Faults

Description:
Regional fault structure of California and Nevada, available for several different time periods.  Data provided by the USGS.

Potential classroom uses:
These could be viewed in conjunction with the USGS earthquake KML (listed above).  Which faults have produced earthquakes recently?

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/qfaults/google.php
faults link#2

Chapter 13

Karst Topography

Description:
KML file displaying karst information in Russian city.  Most of the descriptions are in Russian.

Potential classroom uses:
If you can make sense of this KML, it might be useful for discussion of karst topography and the effects of underlying karst on cities.

Lahars

Description:
Map overlay of Mt. Ranier showing historic mudflows and lahars in the surrounding region.  Also shows potential for volcanic ash cover.

Potential classroom uses:
Might be useful to illustrate the area of influence of major volcanic events, but is limited to just one volcano.

Landslides

Description:
Thermal image of landside in Pakistan captured by NASA’s Terra satellite.  Leave terrain layer on.  Red represents vegetation, gray area is absent of vegetation (landslide area).

Potential classroom uses:
Another interesting application of the Terra satellite.  However, not much additional information about this landslide is provided by this image.  Can anything else about topography or geomorphology be inferred from this?  This post also contains a link to a layer showing surrounding towns.

Land Subsidence

Description:
Map shows land subsidence in London.  Legend is difficult to read, and does not allow much manipulation of data.

Potential classroom uses:
Where in the city is subsidence the most severe?  Describe what impact the Thames river might have on subsidence.  What about human causes of subsidence?

Chapter 14

US Streamflow

Description:
This is a KML file of a USGS real-time streamgage map. Each gage is colored in terms of flow conditions. This file is re-created every hour. Each gage also contains a link to more extensive data trends. 

Potential classroom uses:
Might be useful to calculate drought/hrdrologic balance for single stream or entire watershed.  Could also be correlated with other drought indicators, such as soil moisture or vegetation cover.

Example Exercise:
Choose a stream in the US for which at least 3 gage measurements are available.  What is the current discharge at each gage, and how does it compare with the 66-year median?  What has been the trend within the past week at each gage?  Does the USGS classify your stream as being above, below, or at normal discharge conditions?

Open up the soil moisture file (ch. 9) and compare the current streamflow values on your river with the current soil moisture conditions.  Are there any portions of the river that seem at risk for dropping below normal conditions?  What changes in streamflow do you predict in upcoming weeks?  Does streamflow influence soil moisture or vice-versa?

Review Questions for Chapter 14:
Review Figures 14.5 & 14.30

 Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Tsunamis

Description:
KML file that displays the tsunami inundation line on the Oregon coast.  Produced by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI).

Potential classroom uses:
This is an intriguing use of data in GE; might this tsunami inundation line be extended to cover the entire west coast?  Every coast at risk for tsunamis in the world?  The DOGAMI press release has this to say about its methods of developing this information:  “Each map has a line that shows how far inland and uphill a tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.8 undersea earthquake is expected to go. . .  The line was developed from studies of prehistoric tsunami deposits found along the coast, computer modeling by Dr. George Priest of DOGAMI and Dr. Antonio Baptista of the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science & Technology, and scientific studies of other tsunamis that occurred in Nicaragua and Japan.”
A more detailed explanation of this methodology is given in a 100 page report, Explanation of Mapping Methods and Use of the Tsunami Maps of the Oregon Coast.

Coastal Landforms

Description:
Several KMLs.  US coastal bathymetry data for use in google earth

Review Questions for Chapter 16:
Questions #13, 14, 18
Review Figure 16.12

Chapter 18

Soil Taxonomy

Description:
KML file that displays soil types.  The global overlay is low resolution, but you can narrow it down to specific countries and regions. 

Potential classroom uses:
Pick a region of the world and describe the soil types present (refer to table 18.4 in the text for more information).  What types of physical processes contribute to the distribution of soils in this region?  What might be some appropriate land uses for this region?

Chapter 20

Vegetation Cover (NDVI)

Description:
NASA animation in Google Earth which uses NDVI anomalies to show drought in the Western US.  The animation proceeds in ten-day intervals from 1999 to 2003.  In 2002, severe drought is observable in the Midwest. 
Potential classroom uses:
According to the NDVI, which areas of the Western US experienced the driest, wettest, most variable, and least variable conditions during the period of this animation?  What are the climatic factors that might have led to these spatial patterns?

Vegetation Cover (EVI)

Description:
This file contains global images of the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from 2000-2003.  

Potential classroom uses:
This would be a lot more helpful if there was some way to show EVI anomalies from normal, although there is still a short record for EVI.  Even so, this is a good collection of monthly vegetation images that might be of some use for analysis.
See Appendix 1 for differences between EVI and NDVI

Vegetation Change

Description:
This is a post on Google Earth Community showing vegetation changes as represented by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI- measures how dense and green plant leaves are) between 1999 and 2006 on island of Hispanola.

Potential classroom uses:
How is vegetation changing across this region?  What geographic/climatic features might contribute to vegetation cover?     

Review Questions for Chapter 20:
Questions #4, 6, 16, 19
Review Figure 20.3
Review Table 20.1
Look at figure 20.3 in the text (global terrestrial biomes).  Match the regions of this map to NDVI or EVI images in Google Earth (vegetation cover is also shown in figure 19.7).  How do these figures correlate with each other?  What does the map in the book tell us about the reasons for the spatial variations in vegetation cover?  Which biomes exhibit the greatest vegetative health on a seasonal or annual basis?  What are the climatic factors that contribute to the most productive biomes?  Do you see evidence of human alteration of any biomes?

See also:

p.646 questions #9 & 10

Chapter 21

Description:
Interesting delineation & comparison of various urban land uses in New York and Paris. 

Potential classroomm uses:
Maybe useful to calculate area, but are there any geographical implications to these?  Probably more relevant to urban planning.

Appendix 1

http://tbrs.arizona.edu/forest/projects/evi.htm
EVI (formula, technical descriptions)

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/MeasuringVegetation/measuring_vegetation_1.html
EVI and NDVI (comparative strengths and weaknesses)

NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio Website:
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/documents/available.html