Most Complete Topographical Map of Earth Complete 207
An anonymous reader writes "Kudos to NASA and the Japanese trade ministry for mapping 99% of the Earth's surface, surpassing their previous effort, with which the new data will be amalgamated. Apparently, the data will be free to download and use."
The other %1? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:The other %1? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The other %1? (Score:5, Funny)
Fixed that for you...
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Re:The other %1? (Score:5, Funny)
It's the hole at the North Pole that leads to the center of the Earth.
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I believe it's Mt. Sneffels in Iceland. At least that's what Arne Saknussem led me to believe
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Is that the one you throw people down with the high school physics problem?
Re:The other %1? (Score:5, Funny)
It's the area around the topographical mapping equipment building. if they point the equipment at itself, it creates a paradox and the universe implodes.
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Re:The other %1? (Score:5, Funny)
You rang?
Re:The other %1? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:The other %1? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:The other %1? (Score:4, Interesting)
If you simply look at the image, it seems like a few random streaks in the image file. I'd guess systems issues / data corruption, or other collection faults before I'd guess super-secret military bases.
Ideally they would combine this with previous data (relatively adjusted to this baseline) to fill in the gaps.
MadCow.
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Which, if you'd read the summary, is exactly what they'll be doing:
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Hey, this is a free country. Who is this Orbital Inclination that isn't allowing me to map what I want to map. Free speech, free speech, free beer, free. se...
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Re:The other %1? (Score:5, Interesting)
"or is it part of a top secret organization?"
My guess, most unmapped terrain is not secret. WHy? Because 1% of the surface of the earth is absolutely huge. THe surface area of earth is 510.072.000 km. 1% would be 5.100.720 km, which is 2258x2258 km. Such a large area can't be secret in its entirety.
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10 sq km here, 10 sq km there, pretty soon you're talking about real surface area.
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3.86102159 sq mi HERE, 10 sq km THERE. Vice versa for the non-Americans.
Re:The other %1? (Score:5, Funny)
1% would be 5.100.720 km, which is 2258x2258 km
It could be 40075.02km long and 127.28km wide.
In fact I'm guessing its the part of the earth covered by the big red stripe that marks the equator.
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Re:The other %1? (Score:5, Informative)
In most of Europe, periods are used as thousands-separators in the same way we Americans use commas.
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In most of Europe, periods are used as thousands-separators in the same way we Americans use commas.
Generally, not in places where they primarily speak English. If I was communicating with people using the French language, I would express my numbers with commas for decimal separators.
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No, but there are sites on the internet that love to eat all your non-ascii code.
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Re:The other %1? (Score:4, Funny)
Some parts of the world use decimals where us Americans use commas. and vice versa,
FIFY
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Yes, but how many football stadiums is that?
Re:The other %1? (Score:5, Funny)
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I actually started an earth edge-mapping project with grant money, but I cut myself
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It's the area around the LHC. When they turned it on, it really did create small black holes, which of course don't let any light or other EMR escape. So the satellites can't see in past their event horizon. Or something like that.
Or maybe they just got lazy, blew off work, went home, and cracked open a few beers. "Come on, Seiji, no one will notice that we didn't map the last 1%; it's just a measly 5mm km2. Let's hit the bar!"
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Anyone know last 1% isn't mapped? Is it just hard to access or is it part of a top secret organization?
It's Barbra Streisand's house.
Re:The other %1? (Score:4, Funny)
Fixed that for you
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This obviously can only be settled via a Slashdot poll. My suggestions for options:
- Dick Cheney's undisclosed location
- The North Pole
- Cobra base
- R'lyeh
- Google's secret undersea base
- CowboyNeal's home
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It's Oprah's ass, and do we really want to see that?
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C'mon it is Dick Cheney's house of course :)
As noted... (Score:5, Funny)
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As noted by some. This also has been the most detailed fail.
Don't tell me they left the lens cap on *again*!...
If it is what I think it is then... FAIL (Score:5, Funny)
This error message sums it up pretty well:
Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80040e4d'
/index.asp, line 3
[Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] Too many client tasks.
Acess?! Really?!
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https://wist.echo.nasa.gov/~wist/api/imswelcome/
I cannot access the data however.
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Aw man. I was hoping the error message would include a graphic of the Fail Shuttle.
Original Sources (Score:5, Informative)
Apparently, the data will be free to download and use.
You know, it never ceases to amaze me that CNN, BBC, Fox News, everybody who's a major player can't link to the original source of information [nasa.gov] (and Japan's site [ersdac.or.jp]). One might find the warehouse inventory search tool [nasa.gov] (note registration required for ASTER global digital elevation model) interesting to play around with if they are interested in the story.
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Over on the right hand side, under 'related internet links'.
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Ya, I live in the USA.
How often... (Score:2)
IANAG though.
Re:How often... (Score:4, Funny)
Actually, the data is stored on write-once media, so they've decided to just go out every Dec 31 and push the continental shelves back to their Jan 1 position.
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... from a nice observation window at The Restaurant at the End of California.
Not a problem on human time scales (Score:5, Informative)
That's not really an issue with this type of data. Remember, the resolution is 30m. There is nothing geologic (that would show up in this type of data) that moves anywhere close to that on human time scales.
There IS data on movement such as those you list, showing real time (in geologic time anyway) movement of the crust due to tectonics, or other things. It's actually a pretty major field in geology, studying minute changes. InSAR and millimeter-accurate differential GPS are two techniques.
Relatively coarse DEM data like ASTER or SRTM is used for different applications where millimeter accuracy isn't necessary - i.e., most things :)
Additionally, there is enough inaccuracy in the instrumentation used for DEM data like this that doing multiple passes will give you significantly different results - the error is measured in meters. Therefore, any small changes - and earthquakes, volcanoes, and tectonic movements are small changes in the big scheme of things - are completely irrelevant as they'll be averaged out anyway. It should be interesting to make a comparison to previous datasets, though, and I'm sure there are people working on that already.
Of course, I suppose you'd notice in this data if a huge volcanic explosion occurred, like when half of Mt. St. Helens blew off. However, that's exceedingly rare :)
IAAGGS (I am a geology grad student).
Importing ASTER to Google Earth (Score:2)
Seems the project name for this data is ASTER. Of course, what everyone (like me at least) wants to know is how can we import this stuff into Google Earth or NASA World Wind so we can picture the slopes on that mountain bike trail?
As far as I can tell (from very briefly scanning the Exercises ASTER [wimsoft.com] document earlier), you can do this by downloading some tool that comes from the project itself, and then using it to generate a KML file.
Not too hard, but does anyone know more, or have a simpler way? I'm sure
Re:Importing ASTER to Google Earth (Score:4, Funny)
You know, posting this sort of comment on a geek site, where you're really expected to not only be able to download files and load them into existing programs, but you're also expected to (in extreme cases at least) be able to hack into the ftp site using a whistle made from old Pringles containers and then write the downloader and application file in 6502 assembly, while creating run on sentences in Slashdot, is likely to get somebody to tell you to go back to Digg.
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Yeah well, the reason I haven't been able to do those things is that I have work to attend to. But I suppose there are a few unemployed slashdotters who might not understand.
Re:Importing ASTER to Google Earth (Score:4, Funny)
You know, posting this sort of comment on a geek site, where you're really expected to not only be able to download files and load them into existing programs, but you're also expected to (in extreme cases at least) be able to hack into the ftp site using a whistle made from old Pringles containers and then write the downloader and application file in 6502 assembly, while creating run on sentences in Slashdot, is likely to get somebody to tell you to go back to Digg.
So, are you finished with it yet, or should I go back to reading Digg?
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Re:Importing ASTER to Google Earth (Score:4, Funny)
What!!!!! YOU had a pringles can to use as a whistle>????? You kids have it EASY now! In MY day, we had nothing but teeth and pursed lips....and now, alas, nothing but pursed lips..
Now....GET OFF MY LAWN
G,D, R
dave mundt
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i'm more interested in how this could be gotten into openstreetmap. instead of pushing data into another restricted system, getting it out to as many people as possible would be more beneficial.
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The elevation data in Google Earth and World Wind is apparently already based upon the previous best data available - either the SRTM 90m data, or digitized topographic maps. They don't really specify (at least as far as I could tell) but the Google Earth data matches pretty well with the SRTM data.
That said, the best way to handle data like this is not in Google Earth. I'm guessing eventually they will update their data to incorporate this, unless they are actually using another source. In the mean time, y
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Google Earth already has elevation data (note, that is what this story is about, elevation data, not aerial photography). The new stuff is probably more accurate than the elevation data google earth uses to do its 3D display, but the resolution of the new elevation data is much greater than the resolution of the aerial image files, so it would not make a hill of beans difference in what you see in google earth.
Topofusion, a (cheap, but non-free) mapping program that overlaps in functionality with google ea
Most Complete Topographical Map of Earth Complete (Score:3, Funny)
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Isn't that always true?
Indeed it is. Though there's still room for improvement, as 1% remains uncompleted.
And yet (Score:2)
you can still get a PhD in Geography~
Flight simulator users rejoice! (Score:2)
Getting an accurate world elevation map essentially for free is really cool. Previously you had to get one of the commercial scenery DVDs that would set you back at least $50.
After all, having realistic mointain terrain makes flying much nicer and recognizing land features will be much easier. Then map some Sat terrain on top, for example with the Tileproxy application and everything will look just real.
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Interestingly enough, the reason only 90m resolution data is available from the SRTM mission - previously the best-available global DEM data - is because the Department of Defense restricted it. Within NASA scientists need special permission to access it, and outside of NASA absolutely no one has access. So for the scientific community, this new data being available is really great.
As for terrorists? Give me a break... Google Earth is 100x more useful than this data to terrorists, and not because Google pro
i'm glad they amalgamated the data (Score:2)
it just wouldn't feel right if they consolidated or incorporated the data, or, heaven forbid, unified or merged the data
Damn right it is! (Score:2)
Apparently, the data will be free to download and use."
My tax dollars already paid for this info.
Remarkable domestic news coverage (Score:3, Insightful)
Did anybody else notice that the report of a newsworthy task by U.S. and Japanese agencies was reported by the BBC? Not ABC, NBC, CNN, or any other U.S. based news agency and certainly not by a Japan based agency. It's coverage like this that keeps me going back to the BBC.
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I read it in the Spanish newspaper El País, although I had to follow their link to the NASA site to get the real details. It's not entirely clear from their story whether the author realised that the handful of images (L.A., a glacier, the Grand Canyon) are false-coloured renders of a DEM.
This must be stopped! (Score:2, Troll)
A completely accurate topographical map of the whole Earth? Including possible locations of military installations, elementary schools and donut shops? That's madness!
You know who would want this kind of information? Terrorists, that's who. If they figure out what the Earth looks like, they might blow it up! Clearly this 'Japan' company is a front for free-lance international terrorists like Hans Gruber, and they must be stopped.
Keep this dangerous terrorist tool off the market before the children ar
Limited vocabulary? (Score:2)
Most Complete Topographical Map of Earth Complete
They invented the Thesaurus [reference.com] so we could avoid situations like this.
Main Entry: complete
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: carry out action
Synonyms: accomplish, achieve, actualize, cap, close, conclude, consummate, crown, determine, develop, discharge, do, effect, elaborate, end, equip, execute, fill, finalize, finish, fulfill, furnish, halt, make up, perfect, perform, realize, refine, round off, settle, supplement, terminate, ultimate, wind up*, wrap up*,
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I would've said "Most Extensive Map... Complete" but strangely enough the word extensive is not in your thesaurus.
Technically free, but not in practice (Score:2, Interesting)
What's likely to happen with this "free" data is that Navteq, TeleAtlas, and Google will grab it for free, but then the rest of us will have to pay dearly for the privilege of using their commercialized derivative. NASA's license for it should include clauses demanding fees for any commercial uses, and then donate the fees to the FSF or some other org that benefits the Greater Good.
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I'm okay with that. The raw data is free, but generally useless to the average person without some interpretation.
The only thing stopping someone from making a free alternative to those commercial services is lack of cartography skills.
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NASA may not charge you, but my quick calculation is that we're talking about 1,7 terabytes (uncompressed - it will compress fairly well, but probably still half a terabyte to download) so it's not going to be free to get the whole lot. OTOH if they set up a suitable server then NASA's very own free open-source WorldWind software will allow you to view it, and if you know C# or Java you can write your own filters to false-colour it.
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The previous SRTM data is available completely free to the end-user. I downloaded several gigabytes of it for use in my thesis.
There are commercial vendors who will provide you somewhat better versions of it - with the holes filled, and the individual tiles stitched together. But for someone actually working with the data, that's not really worth much because you can do it yourself in a few minutes.
I'm trying to get the new data right now - I'm still working on my thesis and this will be really great stuff
Complete? (Score:2)
What is the land area of the Earth (Score:2)
When I look up the total land area of the earth i get different numbers ranging from 148M sq. km to 153M sq. km.
So an average of 150.5M sq. km + or minus @2.5M sq. km or @965k sq. miles
So they're mapping to less than the margin of error for different sources as to the total land area.
But what I find interesting is that there appears to be variations equal to three times the area of Alaska (656k sq. Miles).
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/DanielChen.shtml [hypertextbook.com]
Hiking, etc... (Score:3, Insightful)
This will (well, could) be great for geek hikers like myself; I find the topographical maps available okay, but don't really give one an accurate feel for the lay of the land. Incorporating this map into GPS (or, in the shorter term, some open source mapping software on a PDA-sized device) will be very cool...
Sigh, one of these days I hope to look at the beautiful surroundings nature provides, more than I look at my gadgets I bring with me :) Oh well, navigating/mapping is half the fun of exploring, to me (whether in a car, boat, or on foot).
99% isn't good enough? (Score:2)
How bad are we that when they say they mapped 99% of the Earth, we all ask what was the 1% that was missed?
It's like when the poor kid comes home with 99% on their test, and their father says, "what did you get wrong?". Talk about giving people a complex!
By the way, it's probably the poles where the orbital inclination doesn't allow the satellites to see.
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How do these folks break even if the data will be free to download and use?
As it stands right now, the US government won't.
Re:Free? How do they do the math? (Score:5, Funny)
How do these folks break even if the data will be free to download and use? A small nominal charge for use or download would not hurt for sure...or would it?
What are you, some kind of RIAA mobster?
Re:Free? How do they do the math? (Score:5, Insightful)
They break even by people finding profitable uses for it, which then produce tax revenue. Remember, the agencies doing this are US and Japanese government agencies.
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They have already been paid for it, by the taxpayers. That is why it's available at no further cost, something most sane people refer to as being free when talking in general terms.
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Free is important - think of the grad students! (Score:5, Insightful)
I am actually using this data for my thesis project in geology. Actually, I'm really excited to learn about this, as the previously available 90m resolution SRTM data isn't really sufficient for my needs.
The SRTM data is all free to download, if you can figure out their poor interface for selecting the files you need. If it wasn't, there would be a lot fewer people working with it. It is the most important data for the analyses I'm doing, and without it my thesis would be a lot different (you can do similar things with regular topographic maps, but essentially only by making hand measurements). I'm really glad that I haven't done a ton of analyses using the SRTM data - now I will wait until I can get my hands on the new stuff.
For a grad student like me with little to no funding for my research and a tiny paycheck from working as a TA, even a nominal fee to download is prohibitive. Even for someone that DOES have funding, paying for stuff like this is extremely annoying. Despite what journal publishers want you to think, science is about openness and sharing of information. Most scientists freely share their data and work with others - even those that work with proprietary data in industry, if you ask them nicely.
And as others have noted - we already paid for it. It's produced by the government.
Now, here's the best part - there is actually 30m data from the SRTM mission. However, except for North America, only the 90m data is available, because it's restricted - not by NASA, but by the DOD. So with this new data they've apparently side-stepped the DOD. NASA and the USGS do seem like they want to get their data out their and accessible by scientists, despite what the DOD may want. I am working on Thailand, so the 30m SRTM data was restricted, but now I should be able to get this new data at the same resolution.
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Hmm, tax payers already paid for it, no?
Actually, considering the size of the national debt, no, they haven't. Their grandchildren will.
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No wonder he's not returning your calls. He can't hear a word your saying on the messages, since your phone is stuck in your rectum.
I think the solution is to just buy a new one. Along with a MacBook Pro and some Apple t-shirts and bumper stickers. Rock on!
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For Apple users cost doesn't matter, remember? And psh. If Steve Jobs can survive a liver transplant, you can survive a rectum transplant.
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Also did you you forget to post anonymously?
Smidge207 is a troll poster. I believe the real Smidge is Smidge204.
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And people need to realize that 30m isn't really all that exciting aside from it being available for the whole world. There are already free datasets for specific countries that are higher resolution than that, and pay datasets that are significantly higher.
The problem you tend to run into with this sort of data is how big of a mess trees and/or buildings can make of it. Usually it's pretty accurate vertically, but if you're sampling horizontally at 30 and that one data point happens to hit the top of a tre
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(Undoing moderation error)