Lab Assignment: Google Earth
Objectives:
• To understand how spatial data are constructed and employed to generate digital maps
• To reinforce understanding of the basic structure of data tables and formats (especially those that are at the heart of digital mapping)
• The basic features of Google Earth
• How to design maps using multiple elements of spatial representation (points, lines, and polygons)
Directions for this lab:
As in previous labs, follow these written directions, providing responses to questions provided below in italics. Please take some measure to make your responses stand out so that I can find them!
Part A: Downloading and Installing Google Earth
If you haven't already checked it out before, Google Earth is freely available for download for Mac and PC. For download and installation instructions.
Follow the instructions and prompts to load the software to your laptop. (If you have trouble downloading the software, please try to troubleshoot first before contacting me. The whole process shouldn't take more than five minutes to complete!)
For basic instructions on Google Earth's features and basic navigation of the interface, see the VoiceThread on the topic at the class web site. You'll also find tutorials and information at the Google Earth site.
Part B: Exploring Google Earth
There are two main ways to navigate in Google Earth:
1) Note the control panel in the upper right corner of your screen (see attached figure). It appears when you move your cursor over the window. You can use this control panel to zoom in and out (+/- on the bottom), tilt up and down (top circle), and otherwise navigate (middle circle). This way of navigating is quite cumbersome, and I suggest experimenting with the following:
2) Whether you are using a touchpad or proper mouse, you can fully navigate with different combinations of finger commands. Practice playing with these controls and get familiar with whatever your preferred mode of navigation is! While navigating around, there are several handy shortcut keys: "N" - resets the orientation of the planet so north is "up". "R" - resets both the north orientation and any oblique tilt.
Layers and Featured Content: Note the panels on the left side of the screen (Search, Places, Layers). You can search Google Earth in the Search panel, just as you would conduct searches using any other online mapping software. The Places panel is where you can store your own files and folders, and where you can save downloads. Finally, the Layers panel allows you to turn on and off other features, such as place names, roads, boundaries, and featured content.
Part C: Exploring Layers
Type "Lassen Peak, CA" into the search window and "fly" to it.
Note the list of layers on the left side of the Google Earth interface. Each of these icons represents part of Google Earth's "Primary Database" -content that comes with the program.
A check mark means that the layer is visible, whereas a blank box means the layer is not displayed. Click the box beside the Gallery folder in the Layers panel so none of the gallery material is displayed. To start this exercise, make sure all of the Layers are turned off.
Click the arrow next to the Gallery folder to expandit and view its content, then check the box next to "Gigapxl Photos" - this is simply only turning on this layer.
• Find the Gigapxl photo at Lassen Peak National Monument in northern California. Double click on the icon. A description will open automatically. Click to "fly into the ultrahigh resolution photo."
• Note that you can zoom into, out of, and around this photo.
Question: In what direction is this photo taken? (i.e. which way is the camera pointed - west, northwest, southeast, etc.) . Explain how you know with reference to the Google Earth interface
When you are done being amazed by the beauty of Lassen Peak and resolution of the Gigapxl photo, exit the photo and turn the Gigapxl layer off (uncheck the box in the Layers menu). Zoom out until you can see the summit of Lassen Peak.
Try clicking the "Terrain" layer in the Layers menu on and off. Ultimately, you want the Terrain layer to be on.
Question: How does the Terrain layer change what you see at Lassen Peak? Take a screen shot and paste it into this file here.
Note: there are not many Gigapixl photos of locations on the East Coast. Wonder why...
Part D: Saving Your Own Content
In the search window, search for a location of interest to you. It can be anywhere. Click on the Tack icon at the top of the window (or Add -> Placemark) to add a Placemark to your folder. Name the Placemark something intuitive (like "TU Bell Tower"). Don't close the Placemark window yet!
Position the Placemark precisely where you want it (by clicking and dragging). Give the Placemark the following description: "Lassen Summit". Click on the yellow tack in the upper right-hand corner of the pop-up window, and choose an icon for your Placemark. Click OK.
Note that your new Placemark has appeared inside your folder in the Places panel. (If not, drag and drop until it does.)
Right-click on the Placemark you just created and select "Properties." This is how you can edit a Placemark and see some of the properties.
Question: What is the elevation at the location you have chosen? What are the latitude and longitude of your Placemark? Take a screen shot of the location and paste it into this file here.
NOTE: Saving Your Own Content: Click on the "Add" menu at the top of the Google Earth window, and add a folder. Name this folder with your last name. Once added, you will see the folder in your Places panel. Be sure that your folder is inside the "My Places" folder and NOT inside the "Temporary" folder - simply drag and drop to rearrange the folders or right click -> "Save to my places".
Part E: Adding Features
Find the Temple University Main Campus, either by searching or by using the control panel to "fly" to it.
Locate the Bell Tower and create a placemark for it. Give the Placemark a name, description, and an interesting icon. Be sure the Placemark appears inside your folder in the Places panel.
Add a Path showing the most likely route from your icon at the Bell Tower to the 30th Street Station by way of the Schuylkill River. Click on the Path icon at the top of the window (or Add -> Path). Give the path a name and a description. To create the path, click at your starting point and then drag or click along the desired route to your ending point. When finished, choose a bright color for your path so it shows up clearly.
Now we're going to turn 30th Street Station into a 3-D structure. You'll use the Polygon tool to show where this building is located.
Click the Polygon icon at the top of the window (or Add - > Polygon).
Create the polygon by clicking around the perimeter of the 30thStreet Station. Be sure to close the polygon by connecting the first point to the last point.
Now, in the Properties window for the polygon, give the polygon an area color and a different line color. In order to still see the structure underneath, make the area opacity 50%.
Under the "Altitude" tab, give the polygon an altitude of 50 meters, and extend the sides to the ground by clicking the lower box (note that to adjust the altitude of the structure you may need to select "Relative to the ground" from the drop down menu to the right).
Use the navigation control panel to tilt the view to show the 3-D view of the polygon.
In the View box for the polygon, click on "Snapshot View." This means that whenever someone clicks on your polygon, they will be shown the same view that you have just designated.
Question: . What is the length, in kilometers, of your path from the Bell Tower to 30th Street Station? Include a screenshot of the path you created.
Question: What the approximate area (in square meters) of the 30th Street Station footprint?
Question: Is this satellite image of Temple's Main Campus current (showing what the campus looks like now)? How do you know? Give at least two lines of reasoning (hint: check the date of the image in the lower left-hand corner).
Locate your hometown. It is not necessary to mark precisely where you live. Save this location as a Placemark, giving it a name, description, and interesting icon.
Question: Using the "Ruler tool" (blue ruler icon on the top toolbar), measure the distance, in kilometers, between your hometown and Temple. Record the distance here. And add a screen shot of your placemark.
Part F: Working with .KML files
Here, we'll work with data files, opening them in Google Earth to see how they display.
In the folder for this assignment, you'll see a .csv version the data file we used in Labs 5 and 6. A .csv, or comma separated value file, is a generic data file that Google Earth is able to parse and open (which it can't do with JMP files). Download this file and open in Google Earth (File Open). You'll probably get a prompt about creating a temple; just say no.
Once the file opens, you should see all of the interview locations we were looking at in the previous labs. Click on one or two of them to remind yourself what respondents were asked.
Question: Explain, based on your understanding of data tables and spatial references, what is happening. How does Google Earth "know" what to do with the data?
Question: Now that you see these locations in Google Earth, reflect a bit on the spatial distribution. Are there any factors that explain where interviews were conducted that you can see in Google Earth?
KML files can be imported/exported and displayed in Google Earth.
Go to the website for the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.
Find the link on the right side of the screen M2.5+ Earthquakes (i.e., earthquakes of a magnitude >2.5 on the Richter Scale) in the past 30 days (continually refreshed), colored by depth.
Download the link and then load it in to Google Earth by selecting "File -> open" and locate your newly downloaded .kml file, then open it. The newly loaded file should load into your "Places". If it's under temporary places, drag it up or right click -> "Save to my places".
Note that beside the locations and magnitudes of current/recent earthquakes, this file contains a number of layers, including various tectonic boundaries. Look through the folders and try turning on and off the different layers.
In the Layers panel, find and turn on the Borders and Labels layer.
Question: About how many earthquakes have occurred in the Los Angeles area in the past 30 days? What is the depth range of the deepest earthquake? What is the magnitude of the strongest? (hint: look at the legend bar to the left).
Question: Which U.S. state (lower 48) has had the most earthquakes in the past 30 days? I know we haven't talked about earthquakes or plate tectonics, but do you have any guesses why there were so many earthquakes here?
Last, we'll look at some of the National Parks in California.
Under Layers, select "More -> Parks and Recreation Areas" in the layers menu, turn on the "US National Parks". Open the US National Parks list to ensure all four boxes are checked. Zoom out so you can see the entire state of California. Note that it may be helpful to turn off some of your other inactive layers to declutter the imagery.
If you don't already have the "Borders and Labels" layer on, turn it on, removing the check next to Labels to minimize clutter (you can always turn it on later if you'd like).
Question: What is the northernmost park in California? How about the easternmost?
Question: When hovering over a park at less than ~70km altitude, you can see the park outline. Which California National Park is largest? Draw a rough shape outline over the park area. What is the approximate area in square kilometers? (hint: if you're stuck, look at the section on measuring the area of 30th Street Station.)
Question: Be sure that all of the placemarks, etc. created for this assignment are in your folder. Rightclick on your folder in the Places panel, and choose "Save Place As...". Google Earth program will save this folder as a .kmz file. This is the zipped version of the standard .kml Google Earth file type.
Upload your .kmz file along with your lab submission for this assignment.
Attachment:- Lab-Data.rar