Virtual Globes and Geological Modeling

Abstract

Virtual Globes such as Google Earth TM , revolutionize the way scientists conduct their research and the way the general public use geospatial-related data and information. Improvement in the processing power and storage capacities of computers, along with the increased Internet accessibility and connectivity, has supported the usage of Virtual Globes technologies. Even more, software releases of freely downloadable Virtual Globes, such as Google Earth and NASA World Wind, has sparked an enormous public interest and increased people's awareness of spatial sciences. In this study, the Virtual Globes (VG) revolution is discussed and a client-server Graphical User Interface (GUI) application is presented. The developed application enables Google Earth TM Application Program Interface and activates spatial analysis, through enhanced JavaScripts and Visual Basic script codes. The main scope was to present the methodology followed during geological modeling along with the application capabilities when handling with data derived from digitized geological maps and field measurements.

Three-dimensional trees for virtual globes

“…These 3D models have their own coordinate space, and they can be modelled using applications such as SketchUp TM , 3D Studio Max, Softimage XSI or Maya (Paraskevas 2011). However, when a 3D model is imported into Google Earth TM , it is translated, rotated and scaled to fit into the Google Earth TM coordinate system.…”

“…The software releases of freely downloadable virtual globes have sparked an enormous public interest (Paraskevas 2011). One of the reasons of their popularity is probably the easy way this software is freely available.…”

Virtual globes for UAV-based data integration: Sputnik GIS and Google Earth™ applications

“…The combined presentation of information is optimal for performing complex analyses and provides insightful methods of communicating science in a manner that is visually energizing, which was supported by an extended thematic range of publications. For example, Stensgaard et al (2009) analyze the use of a VG for managing the geographic risk factors associated with vector-borne disease control; Liu et al (2015) implement an interactive visualization of typhoon data in the NASA World Wind VG; Brovelli et al (2013) use World Wind as a tourism promotion tool as well as a cultural heritage tool; Biradar et al (2009) use Google Earth to visualize global maps of rain fed cropland areas and to calculate statistics using these data; and Blenkinsop (2012), De Paor and Whitmeyer (2011) and Paraskevas (2011) validate Google Earth as a working tool for data visualization of geological structures. In emerging countries, cartographic information might not exist or it may be scarce or have a restricted use.…”

Developing an interactive application embodied in the geosciences educational procedure

“…The Google Earth API can display placemarks, lines, polygons, overlays and 3D models on the imagery, just as the standalone version of Google Earth can. The plug-in supports several of the Google Earth layers of information, including terrain data, infrastructure network, borders and buildings (Brown, 2006, Tsangaratos, 2011. The Google Earth API as well as Google Earth, uses aerial photos and QuickBird satellite images (less than 1 m resolution) for some areas, Landsat imagery for other areas and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) elevation data for terrain visualization.…”

“…VGs are capable of displaying, man -made features such as infrastructure networks and buildings, elevation data or representations of demographic quantities. They can handle spatial data such as geodatabases, shapefiles, KML/KMZ, GPX and raster formats (JPEG, GeoTIFF, MrSID) and integrate a wide variety of context such as photos, videos, documents, 3D models placing them in a geographic content (De Paor et al, 2008, Tsangaratos, 2011.…”