USING GOOGLE EARTH AND KML AS A GEOLOGIST

This is a contribution to the Pardee Keynote Symposium entitled “Digital Geology Speed Dating.” At Table 4 we will show how Google Earth provides unlimited opportunities to explore our world through a computer-based model that combines satellite imagery with terrain data to create a virtual copy of Planet Earth. However, it is Google Earth’s ability to act as a geographic canvas that makes it an invaluable tool for researchers and educators. Using Keyhole Markup Language (KML) it is possible to create eye-catching and dynamic geovisualizations through a combination of geometry and image objects, many of which can be created inside the Google Earth application without a user needing to view or understand the KML code.

Table 4 will demonstrate features of Google Earth and KML potentially of most use to a geologist. Examples will range from simple functions built-into the Google Earth application to more complicated KML that requires direct authoring of the code. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions and explore issues related totheir own Google Earth-based projects. It will be assumed that all attendees are comfortable with basic navigation in Google Earth and will have installed the latest version of the software. Pre-installation of a text editor is also recommended.