Google Earth Helps Predict Natural Disasters
Researchers at the Alaskan Volcano Observatory are using Google Earth to monitor the risk of an eruption. Project leaser John Bailey used Google's KML (Keyhold Markup Language) to create a custom program that displays eruption risks within a specific area. According to Wired News, "The program analyzes the data, assesses a threat level and displays the result as a triangular icon. An orange triangle, for instance, indicates an elevated threat level, while a red triangle means a greater threat, namely a current or upcoming eruption or other activity." The U.S. Geological Survey office will be making a Google Maps version of Bailey's application soon. |
