Disaster Relief Through Google

In Michael F. Goodchild’s piece titled “What does Google Earth Mean for the Social Sciences?” he begins my mentioning that Google Earth “presents a subject for social research in its own right” as well as the need to “address some of the issues identified in the earlier social critiques of cartography”. Google Earth has provided each and every person with the ability to explore the world’s geography at the touch of a few buttons. Google Earth has found ways to avoid daunting problems associated with mass amounts of data required to display the millions of data elements that create the picture of earth’s surface. They are able to store data locally, which is made possible through requiring users to download the program. The ability for users to view the earth in different levels of detail allows for the analysis of a certain location from many different aspects. All of these tools have rendered Google Earth as a great tool for research at both the scientific and explorative levels. As we continue to make technological advancements, the exploration of our world, and what lies beyond it, has become increasingly more tangible with these types of geographic information systems.

Google Earth allows for the integration of unique layers within its program to access different information. For example, updates related to current earthquakes can be integrated through a live access feed. This helpful concept directly relates to the idea behind Google Crisis Map. This tool that is integrated within Google Maps puts “critical disaster-related geographic data in context” by using the map program to highlight the key areas that are affected in real-time. It is also able to integrate links to fundraising sites or help hotlines during major times of crisis around the world. This allows for users to stay up to date on current disasters and all of the different ways they can ensure their safety as well as the safety of others. The ability to interact with this data and both contribute and download it instantly, shows the potential that these geographic information systems have to help the world. This level of disaster-related broadcasting and communication would never have been possible without this type of system. Its ability to efficiently define the spatial and geographical data has aided social-science research exponentially, and will continue to keep users up to date on all of the major events occurring on a given day.

 

Sources:

  1. http://www.google.org/crisismap/weather_and_events
  2. Michael Goodchild, “What Does Google Earth Mean for the Social Sciences?”