X
Business

NASA paints Google Earth with near real-time information

NASA is now providing some interesting KML files that add near real-time overlays to Google Earth.  The information they are using comes from MODIS (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) -- some data from this source (updated daily) can be viewed on Google Earth by clicking here.
Written by Garett Rogers, Inactive

NASA is now providing some interesting KML files that add near real-time overlays to Google Earth.  The information they are using comes from MODIS (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) -- some data from this source (updated daily) can be viewed on Google Earth by clicking here.

One example of the new data is temperature maps [KML].  This overlay shows a graphically pleasing representation of temperature for large bodies of water around the globe -- the colors remind me of Google Mars.

googleearthwatertemps.png

In addition to sea temperatures, NASA is also now providing near real-time information for global chlorophyll levels, cloud fraction and snow cover.

Even though I probably will not use this information in real life, this information about sea temperature, chlorophyll levels, cloud fraction and snow cover is now only a click away -- it's scary to think how much information we "know" actually lives on the internet, or at least in databases other than our brain.

[via Google Earth Blog

Editorial standards