IntroductionWe will start with the most basic operations of Google Earth.
Using Google Earth in this manner is very similar to using a traditional, printed atlas. You'll be finding places, looking around and even doing some basic measurement. While an atlas and Google Earth permit the same goals, how each of these tools accomplishes the goals is very different.
You will need to be familiar with the following tasks
- The search menu (Google Earth User guide on Finding Places and Directions)
- The measurement tool (Google Earth User Guide on Measuring Distances)
- Finding the elevation at the location of the cursor.
- Navigation (moving the view, zooming, and tilting and viewing the 3D landscape)
Before you Start Make sure you have a check mark in the following Layers.
[ • ] Geographic Web
[ x ] Panoramio
[ • ] Gallery
[ x ] Gigapan Photos
[ x ] Gigapxl Photos
[ x ] Terrain
Novice, Advanced Beginner and Competent Users
Don't waste your time retyping the information. When possible, cut-and-paste the information from the following exercises into Google Earth. Do note that you may need to modify some of the information after you have done the cut-and-paste.
Notes on the following exercises
Finding Places
Novice, Advanced Beginner and Competent Users
- What is the name of this location 36.001792, -78.933506?
- What is the name of the statue at 77.022293 W 38.858288 N?
- Go to 116.39092E, 39.91341N and find the Gigapan image. "Fly into" it.
- Go to 86° 55' 23.3076" E, 27° 59' 19.6548" N. What is the elevation? Look around at the terrain (3D!). It's all downhill from here. (Warning: looks best with an Elevation Exaggeration = 1.0)
- Go to this address: 833 S. Wood St., Chicago, IL. Then go 90 m approximately NNW to a square garden. Then go to this link.
Proficient and Advanced Users
- Look at 10.32816, -109.22072 and notice the name (Isla Clipperton,
Mexico). It is really part of France. The population was forgotten
during WWII and few were able to survive. Try to search on the name. Can you find the correct location?
- If you search for 116.39092, 39.91341 you should get a search error. Try the search with 116.39092E, 39.91341N and see if it works. Why?
Measurement
Novice, Advanced Beginner and Competent Users
- Locate Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Find the crater created by the atomic test. Measure the size of the crater.
- Palmyra Atoll belongs to the State of Hawai`i. How far away is it from the main Hawaiian Islands?
- Keops Pyramid is outside Cairo, Egypt. How far would you walk if you went from the South-West corner, over the top, down to the North-East Corner? (In meters)
- What is the approximate diameter of the Climatron at MoBot?
- What is the distance around the Duke University garden (in the center of the campus) if you walk on the surrounding streets?
- Go to Denver, Colorado. What is the elevation of the city? How about the surrounding area?
Proficient and Advanced Users
- Is there a difference in measurement over complex terrain with and without terrain checked?
- Why don't path measurements let you link on the starting point to end a completely closed area? What is the work-around?
| Google Earth screen dump showing where search, measurement and navigation are done.
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