The most complete terrain map of Earth (thanks to Aster)

[Charlotte Ryberg]

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8126197.stm

The most complete terrain map of the Earth's surface has been finally published and is really sure to be a huge improvement from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (STRM) data. Basically, what NASA and Japan have been doing is collecting data over the last few years to create a better Digital Elevation Model of planet earth (DEM). It's taken from Japan's Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (Aster, for short).

For me, if you have been creating custom terrain maps for a video game (such as Train simulator or SimCity) which required DEM data from outside the US, the major problem with the STRM data were the loss of accuracy in steep terrain and deserts and it only covered 80% of the planet. I am hopeful that with the Aster data I can create more accurate worlds with more accurate data and it would be also beneficial for the UK Environment Agency et al, to better predict the impact of sea level rises globally.

Another reason why Japan is so advanced.

[Pope Joan]

My home and village do not show up on Google Earth.

That's how you know nobody really cares about you; at any resolution, we are a green/brown blur of pixels.

As if something indecent had been censored out.

It feels like we "missed the terrain".

[Maurepas]

My home and village do not show up on Google Earth.

That's how you know nobody really cares about you; at any resolution, we are a green/brown blur of pixels.

As if something indecent had been censored out.

It feels like we "missed the terrain".

lmao,man, even we're on Google Earth...

[Colonic Immigration]

Meh, why does anyone need a map that good?

[Charlotte Ryberg]

A digital (terrain) elevation model, to be precise.

It'll be good for Second Life developers who want to recreate cities of hilly terrain such as Rome or Hong Kong. It is going to be good for city or other simulation builders or RPG modders who want to recreate their city or landscape as accurately as possible and as realistic as possible. In my opinion it is likely that more people will need accurate terrain data as the computers of today are now able to render very detailed terrain as opposed to as little as a decade ago so therefore the video game players are likely to demand more realism. With computers so powerful today compared to those released a decade ago (unless you build your own PC) I think it is possible to simulate a whole planet by 2020-ish.

Google Earth has had their own terrain analysis missions when they first introduced Sea view, but I can observe that some terrain data they've used outside Europe is likely to be of STRM type since some parts of the sea are mistaken as earth. I hope that the adoption of Aster data in the near future will improve the detail and the accuracy of earth, especially when I plot high-speed routes across many countries, where gradients are crucial.

[JarVik]

Meh, why does anyone need a map that good?

If your trying to model surface and near surface water and pollutant flow on relatively flat landscape it can become an issue.

[Charlotte Ryberg]

Meh, why does anyone need a map that good?

If your trying to model surface and near surface water and pollutant flow on relatively flat landscape it can become an issue.

Very good point. I've seen problems where when I've tried to remodel part of Copenhagen as a scene in Trainz and the rivers came up nearly like "squares" or something.

[Surpsainia]

I say we should stop mapping the earth and start using these satellites to hunt down lost cities and other such things that have eluded archaeologists!

[Charlotte Ryberg]

I'm not sure whether Aster included ocean elevations but if so then let's try to find Atlantis!

[Call to power]

3-d topless sunbathers?