Geography and crisis management

by Ilse Genovese

When people think of geography, they don’t often think of crisis management. Yet, the study of location applies to all sorts of issues that affect people and the environment. The two-months-old oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is an unfortunate reminder of how important such knowledge is, and of something else: some problems elude fast technological fixes. more >>

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Crisis map mashups
in a participatory age

by Sophia B. Liu and Anahi Ayala Iacucci

Mapping of crisis information is not new; however, neo-geographic tools and practices employed in recent disasters are giving rise to new forms of crisis mapping. Map-based “web mashups” are one of these new forms, enabled by Google Maps and and GPS-enabled devices. Map mashups are typically web services which combine or “mash up” multiple sources of data which are then displayed in some geographic form. more>>

Introduction to the semantic
web: Part One

by Eric Wolf

This edition of DIY GIScience doesn’t emphasize the DIY part as much. Instead, I’m presenting a primer in two parts on what some are calling Web 3.0: the Semantic Web. Let’s begin with some historical context and then I will present two of the key concepts that underlie this compelling technology. more>>

National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping comes to Houston

by Thomas Shea

The National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping and the ground-breaking researcher leading it recently moved operations to the University of Houston. By increasing its cadre of laser mapping researchers, the University of Houston will be able to expand its pioneering work in such areas as homeland security, disaster recovery, oil and gas exploration, wind farm site planning, and environmental studies. more>>

Two- and four-year surveying and geomatics programs

by N.W.J. Hazelton

The relationship between two- and four-year surveying and geomatics programs in the U.S. is more complex and interconnected than in many other countries. This says something about the nature of our profession, but more importantly, it has a major impact on surveying education in the U.S. more>>

Earth science has a field day

by Stephen C. Letchford

At Matoaca Middle School in Chesterfield, Virginia, Cheryl Clark, earth science teacher, and the school’s vice principal Shannon Bramble “tugged and pushed” to create, with the help of local surveyors, an earth sciences field day like no other. more >>

The super-information highway

by Don Talend

Think of roads, and your mind’s eye conjures an image of asphalt. But that image would miss the many other features that make roadways into intelligent integrated systems: signs, traffic signals, lighting, drainage structures, guardrails, to name just a few. Transportation departments like that of Virginia, however, keep a very close eye on these assets. They’re vital for protecting the safety of the motoring public. more>>