Nature highlights Google Earth's role in "Mapping disaster zones"
Check out this free article on how Google Earth software has helped open up disaster preparation/response to the general public: (Click here to view as PDF)

I'm hooked on Google Earth! I used it to take a virtual tour of Rome and Mount Vesuvius while my daughter was there, and viewed the damage from Katrina using the image overlays described in this article. CNN and ABC use Google Earth to give that "zoom-in" view as they get ready to report from a new location, now you can get that same perspective from your desktop! All you need is a PC (or Mac!) and an Internet connection! Once you have Google Earth installed, check out the Nature Avian Flu "mash-up" I highlighted earlier, which shows monthly updated statistics tracking the spread of avian flu in migratory birds around the world! Here's an article on how Google Earth works, and here's an article on the Java/AJAX software coding behind this mash-up.
- posted by Larry H @ 10:04 AM