Study Finds Spatial Skill Is Early Sign of Creativity

From the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/16/us/study-finds-early-signs-of-creativity-in-adults.html

A gift for spatial reasoning — the kind that may inspire an imaginative child to dismantle a clock or the family refrigerator — may be a greater predictor of future creativity or innovation than math or verbal skills, particularly in math, science and related fields, according to a study published Monday in the journal Psychological Science.

Go GIS!

New SOD map from Google Maps Engine

Here is my attempt at a map from Google Maps Engine!

Thanks Karin Tuxen-Bettman for the help!

Proba-V, SPOT replacement is cranking

An update from Mark about the Proba satellite: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/07/new-global-vegetation-map/.

Proba-V is a Belgian-built satellite - the latest in the European Space Agency’s PROBA series of small satellites and will take over vegetation monitoring duties from the Spot-4 and Spot-5 satellites, which are at the end of a 15-year mission. The Proba-V satellite is barely bigger than a washing machine. It was launched just two months ago has already made a wall-to-wall map of the world’s vegetation.

It orbits the Earth 14 times a day, covering the entire globe every two days with 100m resolution imager. Every 10 days, a new 200,000 megapixel image of the world’s vegetation is produced.

Background: the current Vegetation-1 and Vegetation-2 instruments onboard the SPOT 4 and SPOT 5 satellites will only be available till May 2014. For almost 15 years now, these instruments have daily monitored and mapped the worldwide vegetation, thus providing essential information on crop yields, droughts, desertification, changes in the type of vegetation, deforestation, etc. to an ever extending user community.

Go Proba-V!

Hey OakMappers! Updated OakMapper available for iPhones and iPads

The new OakMapper logo

We are excited to announce the new version (2.3) of the OakMapper iPhone/iPad App, available to download now for free at the iTunes App Store [link].

In this version of the OakMapper App, the original browse and search functionalities have been retooled to improve the user interface design and user interaction. A new user can sign up for a new OakMapper account directly using the App. Users who has logged into their account can manage their profile, change their password, and submit a SOD point. The submission process has been re-engineered to achieve a better and more intuitive submission workflow. Users can also take a picture of a suspected SOD infected tree and upload it right from their iOS devices.

To explore all the new features of the OakMapper iPhone/iPad App, please install OakMapper from the iTunes App Store [link] now. Please feel free to share this App with your friends. If you like the OakMapper app, please rate the app and leave your comments in the App store. If you should have any questions, please email us at oakmapper@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

OakMapper
Shufei Lei, Web/Mobile App Developer
Maggi Kelly, Principal Investigator
www.oakmapper.org

SFEI releases new websites to support wetland management and protection

SFEI, on behalf of the Wetland Monitoring Workgroup is releasing a series of technology tools to help with aquatic resource protection and management. “These new online tools will empower Californians to access information about the value and health of their wetlands," said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld.

EcoAtlas

EcoAtlas is designed to support management decisions about wetlands. By compiling state and federal maps and data about wetlands, EcoAtlas gives site visitors access to salient information about the condition and extent of streams, wetlands, lakes, and their surrounding riparian areas. www.ecoatlas.org

Wetlands Portal

The Wetlands Portal is the latest in the series of My Water Quality Portals (www.MyWaterQuality.ca.gov) designed to help the general public find answers to fundamental questions related to water quality both in their communities and across the state as a whole.

CRAM

The California Rapid Assessment Method is a cost-effective and scientifically sound method for monitoring wetland condition. http://www.cramwetlands.org/

CARI

The California Aquatic Resource Inventory is a standardized statewide map of wetlands, streams, and riparian areas. http://www.sfei.org/it/gis/cari

Berkeley privacy expert and linguist analyze implications of NSA surveillance

Stolen from Berkeley Online (where we read about the bold choice of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano as the 20th president of the UC), but worth the echo. The massive scale of domestic surveillance conducted by the National Security Administration has stunned many Americans. But Berkeley Law’s Chris Hoofnagle saw it coming. Nearly a decade ago, the lecturer in residence warned of increasingly broad and unchecked monitoring. Meanwhile, Geoffrey Nunberg, linguistics researcher and faculty member at Berkeley’s School of Information, discussed NSA surveillance of Americans’ phone records and Internet activity on National Public Radio’s “Fresh Air with Terry Gross.”

Joyce has taken more fabulous VTM reshoots!

She's at it again! Check out Joyce's new photos from her recent trip to Isabella dam and surroundings.  More here: http://joycegross.com/various/retakesJune2013/.

BAAMA Summer Happy Hour - July 17 2013 - Free!

BAAMA Summer Happy Hour!!!

Free for everyone!

Who: Bay Area GEOSPATIAL Community

All are welcome! If you are OR are not a BAAMA member, love our group, or have never been to an event but want to check out our organization, this is a great gathering for you.  Come and hang out with your fellow spatial sleuths and map lovers.

What:

• Hot dogs, and potato and cole slaw (supplied by Bay Area-vendor Top Dog)
• A large keg of beer and other non-alc beverages (we won't run out this time)
• Cookies
• The outdoors (maybe a little late-afternoon sun)
• Hang out with people you only read about on LinkedIn and Twitter…..
• Offer up your great ideas in the BAAMA Board

When: Wednesday July 17, 2012

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Hot dogs served from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Where: UC Berkeley, Courtyard behind Mulford Hall

37.87315 -122.26471

Funny video on maps - gotta check it out!

Check out this hilarious video on the paper map: the new bio-optical knowledge recording and dissemination system.

• "...the FUF technology: 'folding/unfolding...'"
• "...impossible to hack, without any antivirus and firewall..."

Landsat 8 imagery available

From Kelly:

Data collected by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) onboard the Landsat 8 satellite are available to download at no charge from GloVis, EarthExplorer, or via the LandsatLook Viewer. 

Orbiting the Earth every 99 minutes, Landsat 8 images the entire Earth every 16 days in the same orbit previously used by Landsat 5. Data products are available within 24 hours of reception. Check it.