EVS Islands Top 10 Posts
EVS Islands has been up and running since April 2005. 410 posts and 100's of island mapping projects later, I'm still going strong. The following is a list with thoughts of my Top 10 Posts.
1. Thoughts – What’s Up With Niau Atoll: This atoll got very popular during the later part of October 2006 when an ESA image was carried on MSNBC's website. Prior to this exposure, a few people visited my original post, Niau Atoll FP (Repost), but after the MSNBC post 664 visitors viewed this post.
2. How To Make A Map Using Google Earth's KML Format: This has been a entry page for over 655 curious actual or wanna-be GE mappers. It was published back in August 2006 and a good deal of the KML formatting and reformatting information is out-of-date. Now if I create a vector file in GE and need to work on it further in Global Mapper, I just load it directly into GM and work on it. I can even save it back to KML format after I'm finished. I know that ArcGIS handles KML formatted files as well. The shoreline digitizing section of this post still applies.
3. Rapa Island FP: This is always a popular site, with 518 primary page views. Rapa Island is a tropical island far removed from the worries of the world. My first notice of the island was far back in my youth. I read that the women outnumbered the men 7 to 1. It seems that the men left to secure work, leaving the women behind. I have another post about this island, Rapa Iti Island FP - With 50-Meter Contour Intervals, and I am still working on improved maps of this island.
4. North Sentinel Island IN - The Most Isolated People and They Like It That Way: This is a recent post (10/24/2007) that generates lots of page views, 339 and counting. It is an interesting map with pre and post December 2004 tsunami satellite imagery. My map reflects post tsunami and shows the uplifted reefs, based on a highly detailed ESA imagery. In conducting research for this island, I came across an informative website, the Andaman Association, that contains everything you would ever want to know about the Andaman Islands, of which North Sentinel Island is one
5. Thoughts - To All of You Searching For "EVS"...: Over 264 visitors wanted to know the meaning of the Australian rock groups use of the initials EVS. Unfortunately for me, it doesn't mean Enhanced Vector Shorelines. It does mean 'Whatever."
6. Nukuoro Atoll FM: This project consisted of two primary posts produced in July 2006, one being the title of this entry and Nukuoro Atoll FM - Motus with Names. Nukuoro Atoll remained a minor curiosity until in August 2006 a popular Korean web portal carried NASA information about the island. After the dust settled 256 visitors satisfied their curiosity by viewing these posts.
Nikumaroro Atoll - Marplot Map (1:30,000)
8. How To Georectify Images Using Global Mapper: 221 people were curious about this topic. It is near and dear to me as well. Quite often, I import imagery into a project that must be georectified (placed at its spatially proper location). I am able to georectify images with a great deal of precision using tools found in Global Mapper. And best of all, it is easy to do.
9. Data - Global Land Mask Using Vectors Instead of 1-Kilometer Grid Cells: Published in November 2007, this post and downloadable file has proved to be quite popular. In the short time this post has been available 216 viewer have checked it out. It began as a request from a visitor. I was able to create the product. The visitor is evaluating it's usefulness as a weather land mask. I have no idea how many others have downloaded the file containing the Global Land Mask Using Vectors. I initially posted the file in XYZ ascii format, not a good fit for most mapping packages. I now have the file available in SHP format.
10. Jabal Al Tayr - Red Sea Volcano: The reason this post recieved so much attention was because it was favorably commented upon in a popular GIS-oriented website. 205 people have visited this site. There is something to be said for timely mapping. I think I had my map constructed within a few hours of my viewing the Reuters' announcement of the eruption.
And that is it, the current list of EVS Island's Top 10 Posts. I have my favorites that I visit and encourage my students to visit as well. It is my hope that whatever I post is interesting, useful, of consistently high-quality, accurate, easy to understand and pleasant to look at.
Thank you and Enjoy!
