NOAA to be more geographically precise on weather warnings

Somebody in Washington is finally listening. Anyone who lives in an area that is subject to severe weather knows quite well that even with a NOAA weather radio, the warnings issued can be miles away and sometimes irrelevant to your particular location. Weather statements of "watches" or "warnings" are issued for entire counties, which in areas of the western United States can be one hundred miles across such as in places like Campbell County, Wyoming. Now comes word that NOAA is changing the way they issue warnings for "short duration" events like tornadoes or flash floods. According to the press release, the "National Weather Service will specify areas within a county and refer to commonly known landmarks such as highways or rivers." I commented on this particular problem last year in an article on my experiences with an earthquake in Hawai’i. The results of these "storm-based warnings," says NOAA, is to enable quicker and more accurate graphical dissemination of information via the web and mobile devices.

Just Google Maps on Google Search

Search Engine Land reports that where once a search on Google with a geographic hint would pop up options for Google Maps and other services, now just Google Maps is offered.

The official statement from Google:

Google is always working to improve search. The redesign of maps onebox better simplifies the Google user experience when looking for business and address information. Users will now be able to obtain directions and store their default location.

University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute Explores Ancient Routing

The Chicago Sun-Times reports on a new project a my alma mater’s Oriental Institute.

The project, called the Center for Ancient Middle Eastern Landscapes or CAMEL, uses geographical information systems (GIS), the same mapping technology as Google Earth, to pinpoint details of ancient sites and even date their origins. That’s possible because GIS encompasses data and trends analysis, and the ability to look at the results on two- and three-dimensional maps.

Among the questions to explore:

the mysteries of how people lived, traveled and built civilizations. The results could reveal findings as diverse as an ancient Egyptian settlement flooded by a dam, the routes explorers took to settle in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, and why Iraq is considered the cradle of civilization.

The routing part sounds particularly interesting:

[Project lead] Branting intends for the Oriental Institute to become a data center for NASA, to partner with satellite companies to get the latest aerial images, and to create a pedestrian simulator to figure out how people traveled through ancient lands.

I’m always pleased to GIS/geography pop up at the Univerisity of Chicago, which shut down its geography department in 1986, the year I graduated.

Virtual Earth Academic Research Collaboration RFP

Gary Price at Resource Shelf shares the details on this Micrsoft Virtual Earth Collaboration opportunity:

Microsoft Research External Research and Programs is pleased to announce a new worldwide Request for Proposals (RFP):  Virtual Earth Academic Research Collaboration.

This Request for Proposals is in support of Virtual Earth’s collaboration with the academic research community.

Submission deadline
The RFP due date is February 16, 2007, 5pm PST (-8 UTC/GMT)

Awards
The total amount available under this request for proposals (RFP) is US $400,000. Microsoft anticipates making approximately 8-14 awards in the range of $20K-$60K.

RFP highlights
To advance academic research and publication in the area of Local Search and, more generally, in digital photography, 3D graphics, computer vision, visualization and location-based tagging, Microsoft intends to make available to RFP awardees ground images.

This RFP invites submission of research proposals for projects which focus on the Local Search research area and describe innovative research using the ground images and the Virtual Earth Interactive SDK at in bold, novel, and unconventional approaches to explore Local Search and related technologies, including interdisciplinary research.

Complete Details

Request for Show of Interest for Two Year College Instructor Training in Remote Sensing

Ann Johnson from ESRI’s Education Program sent on information about the Integrated Geospatial Education and Technology Training (iGETT). It’s currently a proposal from NCGE (The National Council for Geographic Education) to NSF (The National Science Foundation) for funding. But, to fund it NSF needs to see a show of interest.

The organizers are looking for interest from

two-year college faculty who already teach GIS an opportunity to receive training in remote sensing, so that they can offer it as a separate course and also integrate GIS and remote sensing in their teaching.

I’m happy forward info to anyone who fits the bill to help this along! Use the suggestion button on the site to contact me. (I have a special place in my heart for two year colleges; I taught geography at Middlesex Community College.)