An open GeoSpatial standards-enabled google earth application to support crisis management

Scott Pezanowski, Brian Tomaszewski, Alan M. MacEachren

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Google Earth (GE) and related open geospatial technologies have changed both the accessibility of and audience for geospatial information dramatically. Through data rich applications with easy to use interfaces, these technologies bring personalized geospatial information directly to the nonspecialist. When coupled with open geospatial data standards, such as Web Map Services (WMS), Web Features Services (WFS), and GeoRSS, the resulting web-based technologies have the potential to assimilate heterogeneous data from distributed sources rapidly enough to support timecritical activities such as crisis response. Although the ability to view and interact with data in these environments is important, this functionality alone is not sufficient for the demands of crisis response activity. For example, GE's standard version currently lacks geoanalysis capabilities such as geographic buffering and topology functions. In this paper, we present development of the "Google Earth Dashboard" (GED), a web-based interface powered by open geospatial standards and designed for supplementing and enhancing the geospatial capabilities of GE. The GED allows users to create custom maps through WMS layer addition to GE and perform traditional GIS analysis functions. Utility of the GED is presented in a usecase scenario where GIS operations implemented to work with GE are applied to support crisis management activities. The GED represents an important first step towards combining the ubiquity of GE and geospatial standards into an easy-to-use, data rich, geo-analytically powerful environment that can support crisis management activity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationGeomatics Solutions for Disaster Management
PublisherKluwer Academic Publishers
Pages225-238
Number of pages14
ISBN (Print)3540721061, 3540721061, 9783540721062, 9783540721062
DOIs
StatePublished - 2007
Event3rd International Symposium on Geoinformation for Disaster Management, Gi4DM 2007 - Toronto, ON, Canada
Duration: May 23 2007May 25 2007

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography
ISSN (Print)1863-2351

Other

Other3rd International Symposium on Geoinformation for Disaster Management, Gi4DM 2007
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityToronto, ON
Period5/23/075/25/07

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Earth-Surface Processes
  • Computers in Earth Sciences

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