Innovative Uses of Google Earth to Facilitate Scientific Understanding of Meteorological Observations, Forecasts and Analyses

The Google Earth application provides a unique means to display, animate and layer imagery and geophysical data on a 3-dimensional globe without the distortions imparted by a flat display. Using Google Earth, high resolution imagery from environmental satellite data such as the MODIS sensor onboard EOS Terra and Aqua can be viewed at various levels of detail, and updated dynamically as new datasets arrive. Observations and numerical weather prediction model forecasts can be viewed and directly compared. It also provides a forum for training and education of geophysical concepts (atmospheric and space weather, land surface processes, climate, oceanography, etc.) by fusing the aspects of a web-browser with the capability to geo-reference and geo- fuse multiple layers of data. This poster shows several examples that demonstrate how the Google Earth application can be used to display meteorological datasets. For example, an animation of satellite rainfall images from a blend of satellite types gives the user an immediate indication of heavy rain and flooding. 3-D aircraft flight tracks from a recent field experiment show how the in-situ data gathered onboard the aircraft can be compared with coordinated ground-based observations. We also demonstrate how to display data selected from a webpage directly into Google Earth, a land cover database integrated with active fire data, and the use of multispectral and multi- resolution satellite data as you zoom in on a tropical cyclone.