-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Terraserver USA - Archive of USGS Topographic Maps and
AerialPhotographs
Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2003 08:03:28 -0600
From: "Joseph J Kerski" <[log in to unmask]>
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Folks:
The Microsoft Terraserver archive of USGS topographic maps and aerial
photographs has moved to Terraserver-USA:
http://terraserver-usa.com
I have updated my guidelines on:
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/public/outreach/terraserver.html
accordingly and added some additional ideas as to how to use the map and
aerial images on the site.
I still think it is one of the most useful sites for geography education
on
the Internet.
Educational Uses:
Use the maps and images to analyze human and physical processes across
the
Earth's surface, from across the country to right in your
own
neighborhood. Examples include the following:
1) Land Use: What is the land use like in your neighborhood? In
your
region? How does it compare to land use elsewhere in the United
States?
Why? What influence does population, climate, proximity to coastlines,
and
other phenomena have on land use? Why?
2) Landforms: What type of landforms exist in your neighborhood? In
your
region? How do they compare to landforms elsewhere in the United
States?
Why? What influence does climate, geology, rivers, ancient and
current
processes, proximity to coastlines, and other phenomena have on
landforms?
Why and how? Examine the following landforms in your region and in
other
regions: plains, floodplains, alluvial fans, oxbow lakes, deltas,
braided
streams, intermittent streams, glaciers, glacial valleys, eskers,
kames,
moraines, coastlines, ancient lakes, cirques, buttes, mesas, lava
flows,
sand dunes, karst topography, rolling hills, mountains, valleys,
swamps,
marshes, lakes, and other landforms. How are these features evident on
the
topographic maps and aerial photographs? What will the landscape look
like
10 years from now? In 100 years? In 1000 years?
3) Population: Can you estimate the population in the map or
photograph
of your neighborhood? In your region? How does it compare to
population
elsewhere in the United States? Why is it similar or different?
What
influence does land use, climate, perception, and other phenomena have
on
population? Why? What does the settlement pattern look like in
your
region?is it clustered around a certain physical feature, or spread
out
evenly across the landscape? What are the reasons?
4) Urbanization: What type of dwellings do people live in around
your
area? How do these dwellings compare in size and density to those in
other
parts of your city? How do these dwellings compare to those in other
urban
areas? Why? What influences the size and density and type of
dwellings?
5) Scale. How much terrain is visible (in square miles or
square
kilometers) at a scale, or resolution, of 1 meter? Versus 2, 8, or
16
meters? How does the amount of detail change as the scale, or
resolution,
changes? What is the best scale to view a glacier? A school
building? A
river delta? A city? Why? How does the resolution of the
aerial
photographs compare to the topographic maps? What is the maximum that
you
can zoom in on an aerial photograph versus a topographic map?
6) Seasons. Examine some aerial photographs taken in summer
versus
winter, spring, and fall. What are the differences, in vegetation and
sun
angle, for example? Why do they exist? What would your area look
like
during the other seasons?
GIS Uses:
Geographic Information System (GIS) Uses: With a GIS, you can:
1) Use these maps and images as base maps behind your
field-collected
coordinates. The maps, as your field-collected coordinates using a
GPS
(Global Positioning System) receiver, are both in
Earth-referenced
coordinates. Therefore, the points you collect using your GPS will
plot
onto these maps. Use the procedures below to ensure that the
photographs
and maps you download from terraserver contain the
Earth-referenced
information.
2) Drape the maps and aerial photographs on a 3D digital elevation
model
(DEM) to visualize the Earth as it truly exists, in three dimensions.
3) Enhance all spatial analysis with maps and aerial photographs.
Joseph Kerski
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joseph J. Kerski, Ph.D.
Geographer: Education/GIS
US Geological Survey
Building 810 - Entrance W-5 - Room 3000
Box 25046 - MS 507
Denver CO 80225-0046 USA
[log in to unmask]
Voice 303-202-4315
Fax 303-202-4137
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/public/outreach/
USGS: Science for a Changing World
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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