Lab01: Introduction to Google Earth

Objectives: Learn how to use the basic functions of Google Earth Learn how to use the shape drawing tools Learn how to add and use 3rd party data from online sources

Due: Before 10am September8, 2015

Google Earth[footnoteRef:1]: https://www.google.com/earth/explore/products/desktop.html [1: Although Google Earth is sufficient for the lab requirement, Google Earth Pro is recommended, free with enhanced functionality, e.g. measurement tools and US dataset, such as US Parcel Data. ]

Menu BarNavigation controlsLayers PanelPlaces PanelSearch PanelToolbox

Status Bar

Menu Bar: include functions, "File", "Edit", "View", "Tools", "Add" and "Help" Search Panel where you can find a location or navigate directions Places Panel where you can add 3rd party data and create your own places Layers Panel where you can use built-in data layers Toolbox: include functions, "add vector", "add raster", "record a tour", "show historical imagery" etc. Navigation controls: used for tilt, zoom and move your viewpoint Status Bar includes imagery date, longitude, latitude and eye altitude

Homework1. Direction ExerciseUse the Directions function to find the directions from the school to your home. There are several ways to navigate your directions, and below are two examples.

First, in the Search Panel, click Get Directions button. This will allow you to type in two places and navigate directions from your starting point (A) to your destination (B). After clicking the "Get Directions" button, you should have a crosshairs cursor on the map. (you may need to zoom in to UT Dallas in order to find it). =>

Second, in the Toolbox, click "Add Placemark" button (a), and then move the placemark to the top of Green Hall (b). Then, repeat the steps to mark your home. You should be able to note place information and find the placemark within the Places Panel. For navigation, click layers within the Places Panel by the right button of your mouse. On the top of the Green Hall, select "Directions from here", and on the top of home, choose "Directions to here" (c). (a)(b) (c)

A window should show the step-by-step directions for traveling from your school to home.

(Optional) save placemarks as a kml file: Create a folder of holding placemarks (a), and save places in the folder as a kml file (b). Then, you can share locations with others. Note that kmz file is the compressed version of kml file.

(Q1) What is the Latitude and Longitude of theUTD School of Management?What is the best search keyword to get more accurate location? (Hint: compare the result of directly zooming in to the SoM with the positions, which are located by different keywords. Coordinates will appear in the bottom-left corner). Snapshot your comparisons[footnoteRef:2]. [2: Windows: the PrintScreen button is in the keyboard, and you can paste the figure to any location you need; Mac: Command ()-Shift-3, and the file will be on your desktop. Details see: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201361]

325905.08 N 964450.15W

325906.14 N 964449.32 W

They both represent the School of Management well, just located at different points of the building.

(a) (b)(Q2) Use the Measure tool (Hint: in the upper Toolbox) to measure the direct straight line distance between your home and theGreen Hall. Use Miles as the measuring unit. Compare the distance with you obtained in thedriving directions. Is there any shorter or optimal route, compared to theGoogle driving directions? If Google Earth does not provide shorter or more optimal routes, how to generate and share your own route? (Hint: "Add Path" in the upper Toolbox) Snapshot the results of your measured results or comparisons between Google and your own route, and briefly describe the reason why to select this route.

The distance with the measure tool is 0.45 miles compared to the shortest distance with the driving directions of 1.8 miles. There is a shorter way of 1.42 miles driving that I was able to find.

2. Bird Flu ExampleBird flu is a contagious viral infection that can affect all species of birds. The contagious virus lives primarily in the respiratory system in the infected birds, and human infection occurs when people come into contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces. There are thought to be millions of migratory ducks and wildfowl which carry the disease. Worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, more than 135 humans infections of the virus have been recorded.On November 16, 2005, Nature Magazine's Senior Reporter Declan Butler thoroughly researched the Avian Flu outbreak information and published the confirmed cases of Avian Flu in a Google Earth file. His avian outbreak map includes Human cases, and a time series of placemarks showing the progression of the flu over the last 18 months.

In Google Earth, open the following file by going to the Menu Bar (open -> file -> navigate to the kml file or directly drag kml file in map) The kml file can be downloaded from: http://services.google.com/earth/kmz/declan_avian_influenza_n.kmzAn animation bar appears that lets you see how Avian flu spread from 2003 to 2007. Circles indicate animal cases, while triangles indicate human infections. You can focus on the human cases or animal breaks by selecting the respective layers (on the left, Places Panel). For example, you may notice that there were quite a few human cases happened in the first several months of 2006 in the Middle East. For each case, you can make an inquiry to learn more information by directly clicking on the symbol (case summary or outbreak summary). Please keep track of the spread of the flu virus based on the maps.Places PanelAnimation Bar

(Optional) In order to visual display cases in a different time frame, we can adjust the time frame by the time options dialog. For time slider animation, we can click the last right of left-group buttons.

Based on the bird flu maps, please answer the following questions.(Q3) Describe the geographic patterns of the bird flu for both bird and human cases in theMiddle Eastby viewing the bird flu maps.Explain the spatial relationship between human cases and bird cases. Why or why not do human cases spatially correlate with bird cases?

(Q4) Try to identify how manyhuman caseshappened in Iraq and snapshot the detailed summary of one location, including longitude and latitude (Hint: in the Places Panel, only select the Human cases folder).Make sure to click on each icon to see the detailed information of each case, in particular, to see whether there is a unique ID number.

(Q5) According to the maps, how can you predictthe potential areasthat can be impacted by the bird flu (Hint: Usepoultry density map under Additional datasets -> Gridded density of poultry and if possible try to search for bird migration information)?

3. Flights Example

Go tohttp://flightwise.com/flighttracking/. This website provides flight tracking services in KML format. For example, we can take a look at inbound flight traffics for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Click on the (LAX) Los Angeles Intunder the "Flight Tracking" panel on the left hand side and download the kml file. In Google Earth, add the KML as in the last exercise. Then,youwill be able tosee the inbound traffic toward LAX.

(Q6) For LAX inbound flight traffics at the time you are viewing the map, findTWO flights with altitudes less than 1,000 feet (you may have to click on several until you find one).Snapshot the summary of the two flights (Hint: use Navigation controls or clicking "shift + the left button of your mouse" to have a better perspective).

(Q7) Openthe Atlanta airport KML file (ATL),zoom to the Atlanta Airport (ATL) and select one flight with distance 1,000 miles far from the Atlanta Airport.Snapshot your navigation results (Do not do this exercise at night because you may not be able to see any flights)

Please answer all 7 questions and then submit the homework portion of this lab in a Word document with your name on top to eLearning (Course Home Page->Labs->Lab01->Attach, then Submit).7