Enhanced Vector Shorelines of the World - One Island, One Coastline, One River and One Lake at a time.
The above map shows some of my completed island mapping projects. Each icon contains the name of the primary
island associated with the project and a link to the post. Once all of my projects are posted, the map will be
covered with icons. To productively use the map, zoom into a region of interest. Then select an
icon.
Each of my maps is constructed of numerous layers of information.
All of the layers are vector files. I will make these files available upon request. You are free to use them with certain
restrictions - 1) Don't sell them. You can use them on research projects, post them to your website or things of that
nature. If you aren't sure about the use of my maps, drop me a line and we can discuss your idea. 2) Give me credit
when you use my vectors or images of my maps. Credit them to Peter Minton @ EVS-Islands
If I have the island vector
file(s) and based upon your need, I will make them available. Images of my maps are yours to download and use, with the above
restrictions applicable. Enjoy!
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Easter Island - Finally Finished
Easter Island - Other Precision Map (1:100,000)
Yep! Finally finished with this map. I have worked off and on on this map for a year. Back in August 2007 I completed everything but the water features in Rano Kau crater and modifying three minor contours (20-m, 40-m and 60-m). A few months back I got an email from a person wanting to use this map in a publication. That presented two problems. First problem, the map was constructed from DigitalGlobe imagery. First problem solved - I got in touch with my contact at DigitalGlobe and explained the problem. He got back to me with permission to use the map ensuring proper crediting took place. Second problem, had to finish the map. Second problem solved - I went back to work and finished the Rano Kau crater water features and finished modifying the minor contours. Problems solved and map will appear in this person's soon to be published book.
Rano Kau Crater - DigitalGlobe Image from Google Earth
Just thought I would share the DigitalGlobe imagery I used to complete the Rano Kau crater water features. After many hours of small water feature digitizing, I am here to tell you there are lots of little ponds and puddles at the bottom of this crater.
Easter Island - Other Precision Map (1:8,340) - Rano Kau Crater
After finishing, I am satisfied with my completed Easter Island map. Also, I am happy that my map will be used to make a person's book a better one.
Comparison - DCW, VMAP0 Shorelines and GYM's Mapping Opportunity
Shoreline Map Comparison - Yahoo, Google, MS and EVS Precison
Shoreline Map Comparison - DCW and VMAP0
This post shows that Google Maps, Yahoo Maps and MS Live Search Maps use DCW/VMAP0 global shorelines for their mapping, at least in the area of Rabul. That is 1:1,000,000 scale global map coverage. James Fee, a well-respected GIS professional, commented, "When it comes to precision, I think the efforts for GYM (Google, Yahoo, Microsoft) should be on the navigation/geocoding/routing and not shorelines." First, one must agree with James' statement that GYM's maps are intended primarily for navigation/geocoding/routing. I believe that their customers, global in reach, would subject GYM's maps to many other GIS uses beyond navigation/geocoding/routing. I know that there is an agressive effort within the GIS community to provide a richer, more powerful set of tools, allowing any of us the opportunity to explore more complex spatial issues using Google Maps and Google Earth as platforms of choice. Ultimately, the end user, faced with a spatial problem requiring small scale maps would either have to make their own map, pay to have a map made, use a substandard map in place or not use a map at all.
In addition, James seems to suggest that 1:1,000,000 scale is satisfactory for GYMs primary efforts of navigation/geocoding/routing. I understand his reasoning, but I disagree. Before teaching, I did extensive geocoding of environmental risks. Locational precision was critically important. 1:1,000,000 was an unworkable geocoding scale. To follow the flight path of an enemy aircraft using 1:1,000,000 is doable. However, to locate enironmental risks at that large of a scale is asking for problems. A misplotted environmental risk could well result in a lawsuit. Business locations was another area I worked in and locational precision determined an exclusive market and was a contractual promise to the franchisee.
James goes on to say, "For me the shorelines are somewhat irrelevant to the routing provided. If I do need good shorelines, I'll probably just be using the aerial imagery in the first place." Again, his reasoning seems to make sense, but I disagree. First, shorelines are not somewhat irrelevant, they are a dynamic boundary between man and water. A raster image of a shoreline is practical for some applications, but a vector defined shoreline offer one a wide range of mapping possibilities. If I am GYM's map guru, I want my customers to have the greatest mapping precision possible. I don't want to impose precision limitations when there is no need. EVS precision shorelines, on a global scale, requires money to fund the mapping effort and time to complete the project. It will be money well spent. The resulting shorelines and other feature/land use layers will allow the "G", the "Y" or the "M" to be the number one mapping destination for all users and that could generate lots of ad dollars.
Finally, vector maps allow for infinite zooming with no lose of detail. If the initial vectors are created from quality base imagery (i.e., Landsat ETM+) and the map customers are able to easily access these detailed vector maps, they can tackle complex spatial issues using GYM's hi-precision mapping. Thus a marketing boon to the company savy enough to provide the product.
Enjoy!
P.S. - After yesterday's post, I received a query from an individual about EVS precision mapping for a section of Canadian shoreline. He had used WVS/GHHS vectors and they were unsatisfactory for his project. I sent him NGA PGS vectors covering his target area. They looked okay at 1:250,000 scale. He loaded them and acknowledged they were a significant improvement over the WVS/GHHS vectors, but were angular and did not track a cloud-free shoreline as one would expect. I created EVS precision vectors for him. He compared them to NGA PGS vectors and immediately acknowledged their higher quality. He asked if I would go ahead and create EVS precision vectors for his entire study area. I will, but wouldn't it have been cool for him to go to one of the big three mapping portals and find this mapping not only available, but downloadable? I think so.
First, I'd like to credit RoadRunner for his original Google Earth (GE) post titled "The World's Crude Oil Refineries". This data was compiled and posted to GE in October 2005. In his post he references a list of Oil Refineries in Wikipedia as his source. Whatever his source, I wanted the locations of these refineries and bpd production figures so that I could map them in Marplot.
I took his data, which was in the form of a KMZ file. Then I loaded it into Global Mapper and exported the data into a SHP file format. I took the resulting DBF file and modified the data so that my Marplot record would read - refinery name and 2005 production in bpd. I connected this with the refineries lat/lon. I created a layer within Marplot called Refineries, imported my modified file and now have the locations of 506 Crude Oil Refineries in my EVS Projects map file. Oh yes, I do have the original data in SHP and KMZ/KML formats. If you want to see RoadRunner's original data, follow the above link. If you want to see my data, look at the map. If you want a copy of the file from which to create your own layer of information, drop me a line and tell me your desired file format and I'll see what I can do.
The original file is the work of RoadRunner. He gets all of the credit or non-credit. The production figures for many of these refineries have changed. I don't have the new figures, that is for you to gather. Some of the refineries within the list are not refineries at all, but something else. However, if you are an energy industry person, this is a great starter list.
Thanks for the visuals on the oil refineries. This will be very helpful to pass around to those too lazy to do there research and fully understand the numbers behind where gasoline comes from, the capacity at which it is refined and how both of those things affect the gasonline prices. Great job!!!
Set These People Free! They got shoved off of their island back around the turn of last century, because they wanted the British, New Zealand and Australian interests to stop extracting phosphate, derived from bird guano, from their island. They got the old colonial wham-doozie! A contract that they didn't understand, a deal that gave away their island resource for next to nothing, a forced evacuation and after their island had been brutally plundered and not repaired, they were allowed to return. Just recently the courts awarded them $10 million for the past injustices - a mere pitance for all that they have been subjected to. There are a couple of web sites that tell their story: Abara Banaba, Wikipedia article and streaming video of a fly over of the island by Greenpeace.
The map was digitized within Google Earth using DigitalGlobe imagery and ultimately constructed in Marplot. I spent the last six to eight hours working on this relatively small island, but I learned alot while working on it. It is my first island I attempted to digitize all visible buildings. I think I did an excellent job.
What got me started on this particular island was the British Hydrographic Office Catalog of Nautical Charts. They publish a 1:50,000 scale chart (HO 979) of the island proper. This seems to me to be too large scaled to be of real use. In addition, they have a chart showing harbor details at 1:12,000 scale. I personally like my 1:3,125 view of the harbor. Also their chart was originally constructed in 1884 and updated in 1964. My data is from DigitalGlobe imagery gathered in the last couple of years. However, their charts are designed to be used by boaters, mine are not. I make maps, very nice maps, but just maps.
I couldn't leave well enough alone. I added a fourth image, a Marplot map at 1:20,000. The colors have been changed, a text box with appropriate credits is added, a nifty North Arrow and contours at 5-m intervals. I like the new look. One can soften colors too much. The colors used on this map are a bit bolder to draw attention to the features they depict.
Yeah, this one is a sad story. This island is wrecked. I google banaba now and then to see if there've been any developments and caught your site here.
How To Quickly, Accurately and Easily Overlay a Georectified Image into Google Earth Using Global Mapper v9.0
Very Large Kingman Reef - Vector Shoreline View from Google Earth
This is the map that got me started on the mysterious very large Kingman Reef. The sides of the reef are depicted as 140-kms in length. Whereas Kingman Reef is actually a 1/10th of that size. Somebody misdigitized the reef, most probably in the early days of government produced vector maps. Oh, well, that's another story for another time. Meanwhile, let's talk about creating a nifty georectified image overlay and placing it into Google Earth (GE).
Using Global Mapper v9.0 (GM), the process to take an image, georectify it, export it as a KML/KMZ formated file and finally load it into GE is, as my title promises, quick, accurate and easy. How quick - about 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the complexity of the georectifying needed. How accurate - as accurate as you are able to georectify your image against known coordinates. How easy - even a caveman could do it. (I really do dislike that commercial, but it works here.)
Georectify Image
Step 1 - Georectifying an image using GM's process, lets you compare known coordinates (my previously constructed vector files of Kingman Reef) to my image (DigitalGlobe preview image composite of Kingman Reef). I typically create 3+ Ground Control Points (Affine). The GM windows allow for zooming to enable extremely precise georectifying of an image.
Georectified Image
Step 2 - Admire your work! If the image is whacked, you can go back into the georectifying process and fix it. I am an old pro at this, so my images typically line up just fine with my original vector files.
Export Georectified Image as KML/KMZ File
Step 3 - Select File option and Export Raster and Elevation Data. You are given a list of export options. Select Export KML/KMZ.
Format Your Image KML/KMZ File
Step 4 - My georectified image of Kingman Reef is small and is the only image loaded into my work area, so when it comes to KML/KMZ formatting options, I stick with default choices. If this were a very large image (many MBs), I would be able to grid it into manageable file sizes and load each one into GE. I use the KMZ file format. The zipped image and geocoding data take up much less space and load fast into GE.
Name and Save Your KML/KMZ File
Step 5 - Name your file and save it.
Kingman Reef - Landsat ETM+ Image from Google Earth
Double Click File and Enjoy Your Georectified Image in Google Earth
Step 6 - Now for the fun part. (Make sure you have GE loaded into your computer.) Double click your newly created Kingman Reef KMZ file, pause and then admire your work in GE. If you want to share your image overlay with the world, sign into GE and share away. If you just want to admire your handiwork, admire away!
Like I promised - using Global Mapper v9.0, the process to georectify, export and load an image into GE is quick, accurate and easy. Give it a try.
Using DigitalGlobe imagery from Google Earth, I selected 96 carefully sequenced screenshots, each at a scale of 1:15,000. From these screenshots I was able to create this complete 4.56MB standalone cloud-free image of Guadalupe Island MX. The 6 x 16 grid shows how the screenshots were arranged to complete the mosaiced image.
A Cloud-Free Image of Guadalupe Island, MX (1:15,000)
The experienced reader knows all one really needs to do is log into Google Earth, center on Guadalupe Island and zoom onto and about the island. So, it is fair to ponder, "So what!"
My image is portable. I load my DigitalGlobe imagery taken from Google Earth, into my mapping software, Global Mapper, and explore the island at my leisure. I made sure to credit both sources, using their standard image trademarks (see very bottom of image).
Guadalupe Island - Cypress Groves (1-25,000)
Now, I can zoom above the cypress groves located in the upper portions of the island...
Guadalupe Island - Southern Portion (1-12,500)
Or head south to view the area of one of two semi-permanent villages located on the island.
This project took about 4-hours to digitize. The shoreline is a composite of two images. The majority of the shoreline was taken from Landsat ETM+ imagery. When it is cloud free, this imagery is easy to work with. However, when you have cloud obscured shorelines, they are often impossible to discern. The second image used is DigitalGlobe imagery taken from Google Earth. This allowed me to digitize the eastern shore.
I have included four additional layers of information, besides the shoreline - a Vegetation Sparse layer, Land Bare, Land Lava and Land Rocky Shore. All of these layers were taken from the Landsat ETM+ image.
Isla Pinta - DigitalGlobe Image from Google Earth - Eastern Shore (Red Polyline)
I love DigitalGlobe imagery! It is the best to work with, but there are so many real and possible restrictions that apply to derivitive works, maps in particular, that it is more trouble than it is worth. The red polyline is what I digitized from the DG image. I imported it into Global Mapper and stitched it into my EVS precision shoreline.
Isla Pinta - EVS Precision Marplot with 50-meter Contours (1:90,000)
Isla Pinta - EVS Precision Marplot with 50-meter Contours 3D View (1:90,000)
I took my completed map image and georectified it on top of my Global Mapper data. I also added the SRTM data to create contours and explore 3D views of the island. The first map above has 50-meter contours. The second image is a 3D view of the island looking toward the NE.
Lonesome George at the Charles Darwin Research Station (Credit: Credit: Alison Llerena/CDRS)
And finally, here is Lonesome George. He is the last Pinta Island tortise. He was found in 1972 and removed to Santa Cruz Island. He has a couple of Wolf Island female tortises as his potential mates. So far Lonesome George continues to play hard to get. He is estimated to be between 80 to 90 years old. If he doesn't hook up with a female tortise soon his Pinta Island breed ends. I wish him well and his future mate many tortise children.
Data - 78 Tuamotu Atoll LIIMs and They Look Great.
Tuamotu Atoll LIIMs
List of Tuamotu Atoll LIIMs
What is a LIIM? It is an island image extracted from Landsat ETM+ imagery - Landsat Island Image Mosaic - LIIM. I have just completed LIIMs for the Tuamotu Atolls. These low-lying atolls are northeast of Tahiti and southwest of the Marquesas. I have created a total of 78 LIIMs - one for each atoll. They range in size (MBs) from Rangiroa Atoll at 28.7MBs to some of the small atolls under 1MB. As I did with the Greek and Turkish islands, each zipped file contains a JPG image and two georectifying files, they are 14.5 meters per pixel resolution and 300 DPI. I did not save them with DEM files as most of them are very low lying islands. All files are UTM projection with WGS-84 datum. A handful of the LIIMs have cloud-obscured areas, but overall the images are quite clear.
Before DigitalGlobe imagery in Google Earth, I did all of my island mapping with Landsat imagery. I would love to continue using DigitalGlobe imagery, but I feel the copyright restrictions are too cumbersome to deal with. Using Landsat imagery, one can map to their heart's content. One could even make money off of their mapping. Wouldn't that be a kick?
The same offer I made with my Greek and Turkish LIIMs applies to the Tuamotu Atoll LIIMs - drop me a line if you would like to try one of these out. I will email a link where you can download the appropriate LIIM. All I ask is that you give me some feedback as to their usefulness and ease of use. So, if you would like to try one of the Tuamotu Atoll LIIMs, drop me a line.
Thoughts - Ask the Owners of the Images! Not the Users!
Last week, in my naive excitement to share a product idea with readers of this blog, I did something wrong. Sharing the product idea - that was fine. However, it was brought to my attention that my proposed product sounded like a real product. IT IS NOT A REAL PRODUCT! It is merely an idea I shared to solicit feedback on its potential viability as an image tool.
I admit, as I reread my post,it sounded as if I were offering the proposed product for sale, something I would NEVER do without permission from both DigitalGlobe and Google Earth. It seems one of my readers took offense at the language of the post and an offer to let readers view a product prototype, at no cost. After thinking about my offer to allow readers to download the proposed product, I decided that it was a poor idea for a number of reasons, so I withdrew that post and previous posts that discussed this proposed product. I will handle this proposed product idea with the parties involved and not with my readers
Now I want to share what I felt as my motives and character were being discussed by strangers via a comment thread on the blogsite Technical Ramblings. First, I felt pissed that my innocent motives were being challenged by someone who doesn't know me, and only knows my posts. I felt I was being called a thief for allegedly stealing images from both DigitalGlobe and Google Earth. Worst, this individual intimated that I was doing this knowingly. I attempted to defend my motives and apologize for any misleading statements I might have made, to no avail. The scolding continued and a suggestion that I read a September thread discussing the proper uses of Google Earth images. I read the thread and, thank God, after reading it I snapped out of it.
The next morning, I contacted a well-placed representative of DigitalGlobe about the "fair use" of their imagery taken from Google Earth. This individual is well aware of my work and has viewed it a number of times. He assured me that my use of their product, to derive my island maps from, was okay! His only caveat was that my maps and the use of their images was not to be used in a commercial operation and I DO NOT sell my maps or their images, DigitalGlobe is fine with what I do. As to my proposed product idea, that is now between me and DigitalGlobe.
When I first began making maps of islands, using DigitalGlobe images fround in Google Earth, I spoke with a Google Earth representative who repeated the same approval of my island mapping and the use of their imagery to better share my mapping efforts. I was told to include all appropriate trademarks on the images and to not produce maps or to use their images for profit. This person suggested I contact DigitalGlobe to secure their permission as well, which I did.
This is my lesson learned - avoid threads, no matter how well intended the parties might be. Most often the comments are strictly opinions of people like you and me, they just sound more learned then we do. The bottom line is if you want to determine once and for all if your actual or intended use of images or derivatives taken from those images is "fair use" or allowed or how ever you want to describe it, ask the owners of the images, in my case DigitalGlobe and Google Earth. Both parties approved my use of their images. So, that's that.
You said... The bottom line is if you want to determine once and for all if your actual or intended use of images or derivatives taken from those images is "fair use" or allowed or how ever you want to describe it, ask the owners of the images... I can't help but comment on this because you missed a critical step. Ask the owners and then contact a lawyer. Pay a little money and you'll be better off. Many companies will insist their 'rights' reach further than they actually (read.. legally) do. A good example is derived products from licensed data (or service) If you have a commercial license it should be okay. 'Derived' does get a little murky sometimes though. Usually it requires that some form of interpretation needs to happen. If you took DigialGlobe's images and simply resmapled them to 2 bit grey images to define land and water I don't think that would count as a derived product. And that is why you need a layer.
Thanks for the advice. Since both owners of the images I use have approved the specific way I use their product, and the way I use their images merely repeats, and does not change, I consider their okay to my efforts the ultimate approval. If they should ever change their minds and tell me to cease and desist, I'll go back to working exclusively off of Landsat ETM+. Either way, I get to make maps of islands.
For the record, my personal belief, supported to some extent by legal advice that I have heard, is that the island maps you are putting together is Fair Use as it is a Transformative -- and I definitely love the maps you have put together. I do think that they are well done, and very interesting as a way to explore islands in a way that I would never be able to do.
I'd like to say that I feel like we've had a miscommunication somewhere: You think that I find what you're doing wrong in some way. With a very limited exception -- specifically, publishing the 7.7MB "DGIM" image -- I think what you're doing is great work all around. Even the idea of the DGIM is great, and the images used to publicize it really demonstrated exactly what you were trying to achieve.
However, I think that there was just a bit too much haste in demonstrating what you thought was an awesome product -- something I'm equally susceptible to -- for readers who hadn't followed along the chain of posts. Specifically, I found myself *very* confused as to whether this was something that existed, or didn't exist. I hadn't read PlanetGS for a couple days due to working on OpenAerialMap, and I came back to find this product being advertised that I was reading about for 20 minutes before realizing it wasn't a product.
The problem with what you want is not what you want to exist. That's a great thing. However, from a "free data rights" point of view, I often feel like users of the great imagery that Google Earth makes available have a tendancy to forget the important thing about the data: *it's not yours*. There are many limitations about what you can do with the data, and to act as if it's acceptable to simply copy images out of Google Earth for whatever purpose you see fit is to act with a brazen attitude that I feel duty bound to at least make clear *migh* not be acceptable to data providers. It seems clear that DigitalGlobe is happy with you doing it -- but that doesn't mean they're happy with people doing it for commercial purposes, for example. So they might be less happy if you were selling your island maps -- or even if Digital Globe weren't, Google might decide they weren't happy with it, and do something about it.
Free data has a number of benefits: My post was really geared towards talking about that. My shots at you were somewhat unfair, but mostly in jest. However, when you said that your DGIM could be reproduced by anyone by just "copying the images out of Google Earth", my free data zealotry comes out: because many users *can't* just do that, and to lead them to believe they can is exactly that: misleading. *Some* cases may have their problems solved by something like DGIM. However, at least some cases will not be able to use the imagery in the way they want to -- the canonical example of that being the inability to use DG imagery for "display on the web" above a certain resolution -- because of contract restrictions.
I like what you're doing. I encourage you to keep doing it so long as you are able -- but be aware that doing it may not always fly, and the way in which it won't fly isn't something you can know ahead of time. With Free -- as in Libre/Freedom, rather than beer -- Data, you know what the restrictions are on your usage, if any. With data collected in the US by governments, much of it is Public Domain, and with that, you really can do whatever you want. I believe that's an important freedom, and I think it's an important thing to be aware of.
I'm sorry that you felt like I was scolding you. That was unintentional: As a hacker, I sometimes turn off my politeness filter a bit too easily, which leads me to falling into traps when conversing with people who aren't used to the same method of interaction. I certainly wasn't intending to scold: simply to draw your attention to some misleading statements, but more importantly, to draw the distinction that there is something that "Freedom" can provide which even purchasing data (sometimes) can not.
Comparison - Google Earth Georectification vs Landsat ETM+ Georectification. Who is Right?
My previous post elicited a question asking which image was georectified properly and wondering if I had verified the projection. I am a trusting soul and if, in the instance of my previous post, the NGA PGS vector coordinates are what I used to georectify the ISS image. I am reasonably confident the ISS image fit precisely into the NGA PGS vectors. Ultimately the ISS image I fashioned used a Geographic (latitude/longitude) projection with WGS-84 datum.
This evening I loaded the Landsat ETM+ orthorectified mosaic N-20-10_2000, which includes Isla Blanquilla, into Global Mapper. It loaded quickly. I zoomed into Isla Blanquilla at a scale of 1:62,5000, which was the scale of my final map project. I then loaded the ISS georectified base image of Isla Blanquilla on top of the Landsat image. It is right on! A precise fit. However, yesterday when I attempted to create an overlay of the ISS image in Google Earth and after spending 15-minutes stretching and twisting the image, it never quite fit. It was alway alittle off.
Google Earth to Landsat ETM+ Georectification Offset
This evening, I recorded the lat/lon location of three relative ground control points within Google Earth and in Global Mapper's Landsat display. They each showed the same image of Isla Blanquilla and supposedly at the same location. Each relative ground control point was easily discernible. After recording lat/lons for each point and determining the difference, it seems someone is off anywhere between 2-meters and up to 63-meters for this single island. So, who is it? Who has misplotted this island? Is it Google Earth or Landsat ETM+? Care to guess?
I wouldn't trust Google imagery's positional accuracy for one second! I've found dozens of locations where their georectification doesn't match any number of other sources (all of which agree with each other.) It's truly horrible in some places where their imagery is off by hundreds of feet.
It is quite scary knowing that a whole body of data is being developed (the KML community, etc) with such horrible base referencing. Even more scary is that so many people don't even notice.
Matt brings up some good points about GE's imagery etc. I would say that all parties involved are adding to the positional error.
Think about the distances involved: 60 meters (!)? At this scale 60 meters is not much: 2 pixels in a LandSat image, or 4 pixels in a LandSat panchromatic image. It is very possible that the positional error associated with original products, any conversion between coordinate systems and any subsequent rectification would be on the order of 100+ meters.
A Japanese manufacturer was tasked by a US firm with a job of producing 100,000 widgets. The job order allowed for 1 problem widget for every 1,000 produced. The Japanese firm was surprised by the job order specs, but produced the widgets and delivered them to the US firm. There were two bags of widgets. The US representative asked what these two bags contained. The first bag contained 100,000 widgets, less the 1 problem widget. The other bag contained the 1,000 problem widgets.
Google Earth needs to produce 1,000 georectified error-free plots for every 1,000 they plot. Leave the errors to the other guys.
Both the Landsat imagery and DigitalGlobe imagery have been orthorectified to a 1:50,000 National Map Accuracy Standard. The DigitalGlobe imagery is processed without using ground control and with a basic elevation surface. With proper ground control and elevation, an image from DigitalGlobe can have submeter accuracy whereas a Landsat image can not.
How To Batch Geocode Address Identified Data and Load It Into Google Earth FAST!
What seems like ages ago I was in charge of an environmental risk geocoding effort for a company that has been sold and sold and sold again until it no longer exists. I have geocoded 10's of thousands of environmental risks (CERCLA, SWRB-site, NPL, etc.). Before that I geocoded population estimates displayed as circles overlaid on a census map. So I know a thing or two about geocoding.
For you rookies - address geocoding is taking a valid street address (2002 Elm St, Any Town, CA 91007) and determining the lat/lon. If you have a single address, type it into Google Earth or any similar programs and, most often, you are directed to the appropriate location on a map. If you use on-line mapping programs to locate a destination - you are doing address geocoding.
Let's look at a much larger database, all of the service stations located in California (20,000+). How do we geocode that database? You could try it "one-at-a-time". Some of you have the time and the commitment, but I don't. To address geocode 20,000+ service stations one needs to batch geocode - let sophisticated software do the job. The problem is the cost. 20,000+ sites could cost between $5,000 to $20,000 to batch geocode. You would end up with two additional columns of information - a lat and a lon for the address. Some companies pay the price without blinking an eye. To be able to reliably locate, on a map, a fixed asset is an important aspect of doing business in today's world. But I'm cheap and I know of a FREE batch geocoding service. Let me show you how to address geocode a portion of the service stations located in Alameda county California.
Cal Energy - Service Stations
1. First we have to locate the data. At the California Energy Commission web site they have, in Excel format, a listing of 20,000+ service stations located throughout the state. That is what I'll download to gather my data from.
MS Excel Data Prep - Delete and Rearrange Columns
2. Next I'll prep my data in MS Excel. First I copy and paste the Alameda county data, load it into a new spreadsheet. I will go through the data and delete any unnecessary columns of information. I then copy the data to address geocode and paste it into Batch Geocoder.
Batch Geocoder - Load Data, Validate, Process and Create KML File
3. Now for the batch geocoding site, which is called Batch Geocoder. A motivated hacker built this nifty package that allows one to geocode up to 500 address identified data points using Yahoo mapping. Simply put, you load, validate and then process your address identified data and this program geocodes and appends a lat/lon to the record. Cool!
Google Earth - Alameda Service Stations after Icon Change
Google Earth - Creanova Inc Facility
4. After creating the Alameda Service Station KML file from within Batch Geocoder, I double click this new file and it shows up in Google Earth plotted with little grey circles and service station names as a temporary data layer. I like the nifty yellow gas pump icon, so I modify the main file and switch all of my data points to the gas pump icon. And there you have it, address geocoded data in Google Earth done fast and done free.
1) The first image is DigitalGlobe's (DG) coverage found in Google Earth (GE). Using GEs Path Tool, I digitized over 3/4 of the islands shoreline. The digitized shoreline from a DG image is considered to be EEVS precision, meaning scales below 1:12,500 is routinely possible. Once I had completed my GE phase of this project, I saved the completed EEVS shoreline with cloud-obscured gaps identified for later work. I was able to then load this KMZ file into Global Mapper (GM)
2) The balance of the shoreline was digitized using WRS imagery, specifically those identified as path 016 row 056. The imagery is packaged in 257MB TAR files. Once downloaded and unzipped, one can select from a number of TIFF images. I used nn40 tif image.
3) With the shoreline complete, I systematically added layers of information (name labels, land polygon, streams, contours). The SRTM image, N05 W088, served a double purpose. First, I was able to use GMs "Generate Contours" routine to create contours. In addition, The SRTM image was used to create a shaded relief image of Isla del Coco.
Isla del Coco - Island Image Georectified JPG
Now for some data for all of you with mapping packages. I have zipped 9-layers of data that makes up the vector files for this project. The layers include: shoreline, streams, contours, name labels. Using GM, the zipped shapefiles load in about 2-seconds.
The second package contains a georectified JPG imag of the island and a DEM formatted file of the island. It should be loaded first with the JPG draped over it. You can do some neat 3D work with this combination of images.
If you load it with various vector layers, you can see them draped over the landscape of Isla del Coco.
Now for the "Treasure Island" stuff. According to Wikipedia, there are at least 3 treasures buried on this island. Pirates used the island as a hideout for years. Supposedly, Robert Louis Stevenson used Isla del Coco as inspiration for Long John Silver's Treasure Island.
North Sentinel Island IN - The Most Isolated People and They Like It That Way
North Sentinel Island - Landsat ETM+ Image Circa 2000 From Google Earth (1:62,500)
North Sentinel Island - ESA Image 2005 (1-62,500)
Let's begin this post with a discussion of my two base images. The first one is a modified Landsat ETM+ extracted from Google Earth. I have the Landsat ETM+ image found on N-46-10_2000 and used it for one of the vegetation layers found on my completed map. However the shoreline, sand beach and forest was extracted from the Google Earth image. Both of the above images were georectified to my N-46-10_2000 image. The Landsat image is circa 2000. The ESA image was taken following the devestating December 2004 earthquake and tsunami. The offshore reefs underwater in the circa 2000 image are uplifted. They were raised as a direct result of the 9.0 earthquake. The island was also hit by the series of tsunamis that created such death and destruction throughout the region.
North Sentinel Island - EEVS Map (1:62,500)
My map displays both shorelines of North Sentinel Island. The enlarged beaches and submerged reefs are parts of the new shoreline. The island proper was mapped at scales between 1:12,500 to 1:6,250. The new shoreline and raised reefs were mapped at a scale of 1:50,000. The map is a nice effort. It looks good and reflects the effects of December 2004.
Sentineli Man ShootIng Arrow at Helicopter
I want to say a few things about a group of people that call North Sentinel Island home. They have called it home for about 60,000 years. They are a remnant of the original "out-of-Africa" movement around 100,000 years ago. Follow this link to the Andaman Association and their fascinating site about the Lonely Islands (Andaman Islands). George Weber has gathered information about the inhabitants of the Andamans and specifically the people inhabiting North Sentinel. This group wants nothing to do with the outside world. The population estimate is about 250 individuals. The picture, taken from the Andaman Association website shows the Sentineli's defiant attitude. After the December 2004 earthquake and tsunamis, the Indian government sent a group of concerned scientists to North Sentinel to check on the well-being of the inhabitants. The heli was greeted by the lone man attempting to shoot the big bothersome machine out of the sky. The Sentinelis are doing just fine and they could care less about the world and all of its mysteries. I hope they are able to survive, if only to remind us of that different way we all once worked with nature which is so different from our attempts to mold and control nature today.
Comparison - Vectors to Raster or Mr Minton on the Scene
Zooming in Using Vectors
This post is aimed to all readers that are content to look at a picture (image) of a map and never enjoy the thrill of a good vector zoom. When I first began using maps, I was a picture user. Never having been exposed to vectors and their inate characteristic of zooming to amazing levels of detail. I know that the levels of detail are only as good as the original map maker can construct them, but given the right map maker one can discover amazing features tucked away within a vector map. Such as my map of Jabal al-Tayr. Who would have imaged that Mr Minton, yours truly, had his avatar perched on the northwestern plateau of Jabal al-Tayr. I'm sure he is safe, even after the volcanic eruption of a few days ago. He is writing this post after all.
Seriously, the ability to add levels of detail to maps is outstanding in today's world of readily available hi-res digital imagery compliments of Landsat, Google Earth and DigitalGlobe.
Comparison of a Raster to Vector - Jabal al-Tayr at 1-cm : 1,562-m
So, all of you raster rookies, explore the exciting world of vectors. Once you've been there, you'll never want to go back to static rasters.
Pulau Reong - DigitalGlobe Image from Google Earth (1:12,500)
Pulau Reong - EEVS Map (1:12,500)
This island map has taken about 2-hours from start to finish. The most difficult aspect of digitizing it was how to handle the western portion of the island. I elected to use Landsat N-51-05_2000 imagery to complete vectors for the western portion of the island. The majority of the work was done in Google Earth using DigitalGlobe (DG) hi-res imagery.
This island interests me for what it doesn't have. As I studied the DG imagery I cannot find any human signs - no village, no house, no plantation, no large areas of bare earth. It seems that this island's primitive vegetation layer, which is heavily forested, is intact.
I would love to explore this island. Could you image moving through the forest and encountering the flora and fauna within this pristine environment. White sand beaches are found along much of the shoreline. Although the island gets heavy rainfall, there are no visible swamps or mosquito-laden wetlands.
Now back to reality, The island is probably full of bugs, small and large critters. It probably has reptiles named Deadly Five-Pacer. You know, five paces and you're a gonner. Any time you see a tropical forest, the area is innundated with rain and subject to blistering high humidity.
How negative! The explorer in me would love to visit this island. The practical city-dweller, he would still like to visit, but with mosquito nets, raincoats and snake bite kits.
Aldabra Islands is not a little-known, out-of-the-way island. That is for individuals such as Marius. Way to go, Marius. My students will celebrate your geographical knowledge.
Second prize goes to Mark, who guessed the Maldives, which are located in the same ocean. Way to go, Mark.
Thanks for the guesses.
One final comment - The Google Map images used in this post are the result of a new feature in Google Maps that allows one to easily embed maps. You do need to finalize the map to be embeded using the Google Maps preview and customize feature. If you don't, the image you embed will be your entry page into Google Maps and not necessarily the map you expected to see. However, once you customize your embed map, again easy to do, the resulting map image will be of the area you expected to be embeded.
Back in 1964, I was checking out reference books at a library. I happened upon a Geographical Dictionary. Leafing through that dictionary, I came upon an entry describing a small obscure island, Eiao. The entry stated that this island was 8 miles by 4 miles with elevations of 3,000 feet in the island's central plateau. At one time the island was inhabited. During the later part of the 19th century, the French used the island as a prison. Now the island was overrun by feral animals which were decimating what little native vegetation remained.
From that single incident came my fascination with islands. Like many people with a keen interest in islands, my reasons are many and most of these reasons having nothing to do with geography (stress, explorer, master-of-my-domain, etc.). What I discovered early on was the absence of readily-available maps. There were a few WW-II maps in out-of-print books, but no available collection of island maps.
Scripps Institute of Oceanography and Maps
That led to Scripps Institute of Oceanography and their excellent map collection. SIO does ocean-oriented research throughout the world. Consequently, they have a paper map collection of the world oceans and islands that rivals the best in the world. During the early 1980s, I spent many weekend hours pouring over this collection of maps and charts. The map librarian and I became acquainted and he allowed me access to their entire map and chart collection. It was both a joy and a curse, a sensory overload. I had access to every island paper map in the SIO collection and all I could think was, "So many islands, so little time."
My first idea was to amass my own collection of paper maps. This was the pre-digital and pre-affordable computer age. I would need to copy thousands of maps. No way! At 15 cents a copy, it just wasn't practical or affordable. I thought I could trace the shorelines of islands. Too many islands, too complicated, too time-consuming. Again, No way! So I stopped. That's right, stopped any island map aquisitions activities and went about my non-island map life.
Affordable Computers...
Which takes us to the late 1990s, the time of affordable computers, mega-storage, www and information everywhere. This was a time of digitizing paper map collections and one of the first was the Perry-Castenada Map Collection at the University of Texas. I'm not sure of the precise date that their collection went on-line, but many paper maps were freely available as raster images. Anyone could download them and amass their own digital map collection. During this time, I downloaded 100s of island maps. It was great fun, but I knew there was more. Raster maps were okay, but what about vector maps. They were considerably smaller in size and offered greater flexibility. In 2001, I went the way of the vectors.
The Way of The Vector
Not having money to spend on software, I became the master of the freeware and shareware world. I finally settled on Marplot for my mapping software and World Vector Shorelines from the NGDC Coastline Extractor. I remember downloading 100s of vector tiles onto 1.4MB floppies, taking them to my computer where I uploaded them into Marplot. It took about a month and I managed to load all of the world shorelines at 1:250,000 scale, 20,000+ placenames of major cities, 86,000+ placenames of islands and various other opportunistic layers of information.
