THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE GRI GOOGLE EARTH PRODUCT FOR ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO

The Geologic Resources Inventory (GRI) is a National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring program tasked with producing high quality Geographic Information Systems (GIS) datasets and comprehensive geologic reports for NPS park units with significant natural resources. Recently, the GRI identified a goal of producing a spatial data product for a less technical user that can be viewed and utilized outside of GIS software. Google Earth was selected, as the software is widely used and met several requirements, including being free and easy to use. The resulting GRI Google Earth dataset, in KML/KMZ format, displays geologic data draped over elevation data and imagery and allows access to the data-rich feature attribute tables contained within GRI GIS datasets. Additionally, screen overlays and Google Earth balloons were developed to convey data sources, use constraints, and to provide links to additional information about the GRI, as well as other GRI datasets. This digital poster presents the GRI Google Earth product for Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, showcasing some the world’s most spectacular and scenic geology.