New Interactive Map

 

VIEW GEOTHERMAL DATA USING GOOGLE EARTH®
   
  We are experimenting with using Google Earth® as a platform to provide our spatial geothermal data. Google Earth® has several advantages compared with our ArcIMS® interactive maps, including (1) extraordinary pan, zoom, and rotation capability, (2) the ability to view the ground from any angle (not just from straight down), which allows for breathtaking "flyovers" as from an airplane, and (3) great aerial photos draped on top of good DEM's. You can also view the closest coffee shop to your favorite geothermal system...

There are also a few drawbacks. By adding GIS layers to Google Earth, the time it takes to load the program and process zoom and pan commands seems to increase. There is also limited symbology and the lack of a legend describing what the various symbols and colors mean. We have included a short legend for our Google Earth geothermal data below. Click here for more information as to how the favorability map was produced.

If you download our spatial data and view it by Google Earth (the process is described below), we'd like to hear from you. Send any comments you might have to zehner@unr.edu

 
  Above: Vertical Google Earth view of the Dixie Valley geothermal system, with locations and values of temperature gradient data.

Below: Horizontal Google Earth view of Dixie Valley, looking northeast.

    
 
Legend for the Google Earth data:
  GBTowns: Towns and Cities within the Great Basin.

USGS_Quat_Flts: Quaternary faults from the USGS Quaternary fault database: faults in red have estimated offsets > 0.3 mm/year, those in black < 0.3 mm/year.

SMUwells: Temperature gradient data from Dave Blackwell at Southern Methodist University and John Sass of the U.S.G.S. Warmer colors have higher values; values are shown. The "No_Data" file shows wells with no temperature gradient data.

Geothermal Favorability: A qualitative version of the Great Basin Center's geothermal favorability map, with warm colors representing areas of higher favorability. Click here for additional information.
       
 

INSTALLING GOOGLE EARTH GEOTHERMAL DATA ON YOUR COMPUTER

Several steps are required to view our data on Google Earth:

1. Download and install Google Earth software, if you haven't already.

2. Download our custom kmz file 'GreatBasinGeothermal.kmz' (9.56 Mb) to your computer

3. Open Google Earth on your computer.

4. Click 'Open' on the top Google Earth menu bar. In the pop-up window, navigate to the GreatBasinGeothermal.kmz file, and click 'Open'. The file may take several minutes to load.

5. To enhance your visualization capabilities, click on 'Tools' and select 'Options' from the drop-down box. In the 'View' folder you can change such things as the label size and the scale units. To get the kind of horizontal views you see in the picture above, we suggest you set the vertical exaggeration to 3.