USING GOOGLE EARTH PRO TO CREATE GEOLOGIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT MAPS ON STATEN ISLAND, NY

Geospatial programs have revolutionized the geosciences, allowing earth scientists to represent large amounts of data across a specific geographic area. Although there are various geospatial programs, most notably ArcGIS, other more affordable programs exist, like Google Earth Pro, which was released for free in 2015. Utilizing Google Earth Pro as an alternative to ArcGIS, geologic hazards maps have been generated for Staten Island, NY, by utilizing an assortment of tools such as polygons, image overlays, paths, and various network connections to represent the areas most prone to slope failure, coastal erosion, and ocean inundation from storm surges and sea level rise. By utilizing programs like Google Earth Pro in high school and undergraduate classrooms, students can grasp a deeper understanding of how and why some areas are more susceptible to various geologic hazards compared to others, while encouraging them to pursue a deeper understanding of other more advanced geospatial programs.