Via the BBC and also the NYT this morning comes word that Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) have released some more imagery of the suspected attack site in Syria on September 6, this time taken last Wednesday, October 24 — just two days ago.

That square building? It’s completely gone! All that’s left is scrape marks and the odd bulldozer:

Compare to the imagery before taken before the attack, on September 6:

That just about confirms that this is indeed the spot. ISIS adds:

Dismantling and removing the building at such a rapid pace dramatically complicates any inspection of the facilities and suggests that Syria may be trying to hide what was there.

There’s more good analysis in the PDF.

I’ve turned both images in the PDF into high-resolution KML overlays. Get the KML file here. The August 10 layer is turned off by default, but turn it on and play with the opacity sliders to compare before and after imagery, as well as with the Spot Image base layer in Google Earth. Images don’t match up exactly because they were taken at oblique angles and are of hilly terrain.

This is what happens when things get busy around here: Stuff piles up. Time to dive into this week’s links…

• PhotoOverlay tool: Digital Urban announces Google Earth PhotoOverlay, a free Windows app that automates the creation of the KML you need to publish your panoramas to Google Earth using the new PhotoOverlay tag in KML 2.2, supported in Google Earth 4.2.
• NeoGeo Co-opetition: Oy, what’s going on here? First All Points Blog reports that Google Earth’s Brian McClendon and Microsoft’s Erik Jorgensen get all touchy-feely about KML, and now we hear on the Google Enterprise Blog that Google and ESRI are collaborating to better serve government employees. Let’s hope everyone’s faking:-)
• Leopard does GPS metadata: I’m having Amazon Fedex Mac OS X 10.5 to a friend who will put it on the first plane to Cairo, as it would be intolerable to run an outdated operating system, and Amazon isn’t shipping Leopard to Egypt. One of the 300 new features of Leopard:
  

  GPS Metadata Support
  Get real information from your photos. If your image has embedded GPS metadata, Preview will show you exactly where that perfect photo was taken. Open the Image inspector and select GPS. Preview pinpoints the location where you took the photo on a world map. From there you can even open the GPS location in Google Maps.

• Neogeoblogger minimeetup: Last weekend I had a pitstop in Antwerp to see the family. I also met up with Belgeoblog‘s Pascal, who has the Belgian market in Google Earth cornered. Here he is on Flickr.
• AutoCAD to Google Earth: “An updated version of the Google Earth Extension for AutoCAD is now available on Autodesk Labs.”
• Canada roads, for free: Peter Rukavina notes that Canada’s National Road Network is now available as free download as KML, ESRI Shapefile, and GML. Peter adds:
  

  For anyone interested in GIS, map-hacking and similar pursuits, the NRN is an amazing dataset. That it’s made freely available for any use is a dramatic departure from usual practice with government data in Canada, where we usually have to pay for data that is, by all rights, already “ours.”

  UK Ordnance Survey, are you listening? Take some advice from the colonies.

• Dutch blog: Another Dutch-language Google Earth blog hits my radar screen for the first time, GoogledEarth-blog.nl. (I keep on reading it as Google Dearth, though:-)
• Global Mapper to KML: Global Mapper is “a [$300 Windows] program that has an amazing ability to display, convert, edit and print the most popular image, elevation and vector datasets.” Now it also exports to KML.
• Morocco censorship redux: More anecdotal evidence that Morocco continues to ban Google Earth, and a lot else besides. Glad I visited before the internet was invented:-)
• Keyhole history:Frank Taylor links to an hour-long video of a presentation by Google Earth President John Hanke about the early days of Keyhole, and how they became Google Earth. Avi Bar-Zeev adds some color.
• Unstructured data to Google Earth: Interesting press release:
  

  NetOwl, an advanced multilingual text mining platform developed by SRA, is now fully integrated with the Google Earth service. This new capability enables knowledge workers to rapidly analyze, geotag, and geoparse large amounts of unstructured data from a diverse number of sources and languages, and it georeferences the results in new and innovative ways through Google Earth. It also provides the ability to fuse structured and unstructured data and imagery, and to tailor specific requirements to their individual needs…

  Sounds like what Google did with their book layer in Google Earth.

• Cool Virtual Earth feature: Here’s a feature I didn’t really get until Virtual Earth Blog explained it in detail (it’s item number 6): You can subscribe to a KML file on the web, and if it is updated you get the news via a GeoRSS feed. Clever!
• Virtual Earth inside ArcGIS: This is verging on the freaky: According to Virtual Earth Blog, soon Brian Flood’s Arc2Earth will have the “ability to embed VE/VE3D directly into ArcGIS as a custom view. Watch for this update in about a week according to Brain Flood, creator of Arc2Earth”. Brain flood indeed:-) Check out the screenshot.
• KML to GPX: KMLToGPX Converter 2.0 is out, free, and available for Windows and Mac.
• LoadMyTracks: The free LoadMyTracks utility for Mac gets an update to fix Leopard compatibility. This is my utility of choice for getting GPX files to and from GPS receivers and turning them into KML.
• Free KML tools: Free Geography Tools flags two new online KML tools by Zonum Solutions: KML-GRID (which draws a grid to your parameters as KML) and KML-Area & Length (which takes your KML polygons ad calculates areas, which Google Earth Free doesn’t do).
• California fires: Google releases a master layer that includes all the imagery released so far. GeoCommons has also collected all its fire maps into one place.
• Comet! And finally, thanks to Frank at Google Earth Blog for alerting me to the brightening of Comet 17P/Holmes, and where to find it.

The Guardian comes out with the archetypal “terrorists are using Google Earth” piece this morning:

Palestinian militants are using Google Earth to help plan their attacks on the Israeli military and other targets, the Guardian has learned.

Members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a group aligned with the Fatah political party, say they use the popular internet mapping tool to help determine their targets for rocket strikes.

“We obtain the details from Google Earth and check them against our maps of the city centre and sensitive areas,” Khaled Jaabari, the group’s commander in Gaza who is known as Abu Walid, told the Guardian.

And there’s the video to prove it (2:30m in):

It’s not the sort of endorsement one wishes for. But Abu Walid is trying to boast about his militancy, as his Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade is now trying to outdo Hamas in the toughness stakes in order to win over the Gazan population. Google Earth is mentioned because it is a new tool — it is the best way yet to find the local supermarket, regardless of who you are. The Volkswagen bus used to transport the rocket doesn’t rate a mention by Abu Walid, but that’s because both we and he are used to terrorists having cars.

Ditto for the maps they use, the cellphones, the HP computer on which Abu Walid runs Google Earth, and their internet connection. Google Earth (and Virtual Earth and Yahoo Maps) are the new universal for placing yourself in the world and navigating it. Denying ourselves that tool and all the good that comes from it because we think it spites terrorists would be a pity. Google Earth’s imagery is definitely cheaper and more convenient than what Abu Walid had access to before, but taking it away from him and us would diminish his effectiveness by very little, whereas the cumulative cost to the rest of us would be far greater.

[Previous “terrorists use Google Earth” stories: Terrorists use Google Earth in Algeria, militants use Google Earth in Iraq, militants use Google Earth in Yemen.]

This blog needs a big catch-up post, but to whet the appetite, Google Lat-Long Blog just listed the precise contents of the unexpected imagery update that happened on Oct 23. It took me until after posting the story on Syria earlier today to realize what wonderful timing this update had, as Tunisia, Syria, the UAE, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel now all benefit from 2.5m-per-pixel Spot Image base imagery.

What else of note? Personal favorites are new high-resolution imagery for the entire State of Oregon, and also for the Swedish city of Umeå, where the data is credited to the city council. Smart move Umeå! Stockholm’s hi-res imagery is updated, as is Windhoek’s, Ulan-Bator’s, and that of a whole slew of other exotic-sounding cities. The whole list is copied below the fold, for archiving.

Continue reading October 23 Imagery update for Google Earth →

Where in Syria did those Israeli planes attack on September 6? Rumors have been swirling for weeks, though without any positive identification. That didn’t stop us from playing the guessing game on September 23, identifying a possible site based on “information” leaked to the press.

It now looks likely I guessed wrong. First, on October 19, ABC News had a “senior US official” describe the location thus:

The official said the suspected nuclear facility was approximately 100 miles from the Iraqi border, deep in the desert along the Euphrates River. It was a place, the official said, “where no one would ever go unless you had a reason to go there.” […] The official described the pictures as showing a big cylindrical structure, with very thick walls all well-reinforced. The photos show rebar hanging out of the cement used to reinforce the structure, which was still under construction.

If you look at the map of Syria, there is just one spot where the desert touches the Euphrates; it’s about 80 miles from the closest border, or 100 miles from the border if you follow the Euphrates. It is also the location of some extensive on-demand DigitalGlobe imaging from July 2007, as shown by the orange squares below. Somebody wanted to get a better view of that area.

Finally, just today, the Washington Post reports what it believes to be the precise location, quoting a former UN weapons inspector working for the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), which this blog has covered in the past when they mapped Iran’s nuclear weapons programme. WaPo names the exact location, but does not provide imagery itself:

Photographs of the site taken before the secret Sept. 6 airstrike depict an isolated compound that includes a tall, boxy structure similar to the type of building used to house a gas-graphite reactor. […] The facility is located seven miles north of the desert village of At Tibnah, in the Dayr az Zawr region…

As for how reliable this location is:

U.S. and international experts and officials familiar with the site, who were shown the photographs yesterday, said there was a strong and credible possibility that they depict the remote compound that was attacked. Israeli officials and the White House declined to comment.

With those caveats out of the way, where would this location be? ISIS’s website doesn’t have any images up as of this writing (it likely commissioned those DigitalGlobe images taken in July 2007 [Update: See ISIS’s imagery at the end of this post]), so let’s go looking at what Google Earth has to offer…

On closer inspection, it turns out all of Syria got much improved Spot Image image coverage in Google Earth since last time I looked a few weeks ago. [Update: This imagery was added yesterday.] And sure enough, if you head 7 miles due north from Ab Tibnah (found via a simple search in Google Earth), you land in the only area where the desert reaches the banks of the Euphrates. And there, on the eastern bank, is an unmistakable candidate nuclear reactor building, 45m x 45m in size, apparently still under construction.

This new Spot Image imagery is not yet in Google Maps, so you can see the difference with what Google Earth showed just a few weeks ago, when we first went hunting for the location soon after the September 6 air raid. Here’s the view in Google Maps still today:

Isn’t the march of technology a great thing?:-)

(I do wish we’d get a more complete accounting of what imagery is updated and when, though. Google’s Geographical treasure hunts are all good and well, but don’t substitute for a sober list of updated data.)

What incongruities are left? The ABC article mentions a cylindrical object, whereas the WaPo article talks about a tall boxy structure. Possibly, this is because the Spot Image images are a bit older. Where did my own previous guess go wrong? Dayr az Zawr is not just a town, but also a large administrative region. I assumed the mentions were of the town and calculated from there. That said, the initial leads that were reported in the Times of London turned out to be completely wrong. That’s what you get when you have spies as sources…:-)

[Update 13:41 UTC: ISIS’s website now has the PDF report with the DigitalGlobe imagery, taken on Aug 10, 2007. Here it is:

]

Pardon the mess, but I’m traveling, so the pile below pretty much reflects the state of my mind right now. In no particular order, then:

• Network links in Google Maps: Here’s the official developer’s account of the new-found support for KML network links in Google Maps, over on Maps API Blog.
• Arc2Earth v.2: Mentioned better late than never: Arc2Earth Version 2 is out of beta, reports Briant Flood, with a list of what’s new — including KML 2.2 support and full two-way importing/exporting of KML and GeoRSS.
• No GE in Iran: You can’t download Google Earth in Iran either, it turns out. Punitive US export regulations are the culprit.
• 3D Virtual Earth building how-to: Earthware blog has a review of the new 3D building tool in Microsoft Virtual Earth and also a video tutorial.
• Plone mapping: Sean Gillies’s PleiadesGeocoder, a plugin for the Plone CMS that lets him add geospatial attributes to content and then output it as KML or GeoRSS gets an update. Sean is using it for the Pleiades atlas of ancient places.
• MSFT => OGC: Microsoft rejoins the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). The OGC is now responsible for making KML an open standard, so it is fitting that Microsoft should join a few days after adding support for KML in Virtual Earth.
• Atmospheric pollutants as KML: AlphaGalileo reports on a new KML file by the Netherlands Institute for Space Research that shows global atmospheric pollution concentrations as measured by ESA and NASA satellites. Here’s the page with the network link, with folders for carbon monoxide, methane, nitrogen dioxide and aerosols. There are also some nice context layers, such as population densities and rice paddy distribution. (Rice paddy use corresponds with methane levels, it turns out.)
• Nokia N810: Nokia is turning itself into a moving target for Apple. Enter the Nokia N810, my next object of lust. (Press release.) It comes with built-in GPS and voice commands so that it pretty much can take over as a satnav device in the car. The reasons for that purchase of Navteq are getting ever clearer — Nokia is pulling out all the stops on mobile computing. The N810 doesn’t compete directly with the iPhone, as it has no phone, though it lets you Skype via wifi or a bluetooth phone, which the iPod Touch doesn’t let you do.
• Universal avatars: IBM and Linden Lab (makers of Second Life) are working on “making avatars interoperable” between virtual worlds, reports the NYT. Google and a slew of other companies are on board, says the article. Tim O’Reilly chimes in on the significance of this. These “avatars” will soon be used beyond the 2D 3D web, methinks. They’ll become extensions of your profile on Facebook, or whichever Facebook competitor ends up being the most open. One property of your profile might be where you are at this moment, and that might be visible in Google Earth. Soon, the web will come to you, and your avatar will be your way of telling people what or where you’re paying attention to.
• Google + Multiverse redux: Remember the Multiverse-Google partnership that was supposed to be announced last week, as reported breathlessly by CNET in a scoop? Has anyone heard anything more about this from either Google or Multiverse? Did CNET jump the gun on the story? The technology really does seem to exist — CNET has a screenshot of “Architectural Wonders” — but where is the official announcement?
• Virtual Worlds + MSFT: Microsoft is also getting into the 3D virtual world business: “Schiappa declined to give more specifics about Microsoft’s virtual world plans, but hinted that anything Microsoft does will likely involve its Virtual Earth mapping platform and probably its robust video game business.”
• Community mapping feeling the heat? So the user-generated map-hosting business has been getting a lot tougher, mainly because Google Earth’s own product is so now robust, no-nonsense, and comes with the ability to add your own profile, so that it gets that community feeling. Meanwhile Platial is merging with Frappr, and other players like Everytrail are beefing up their features and/or finding their niches (see Bikemap.de, walk.jog.run, Wikiloc, Tagzania or Crankfire). Let’s hope the best innovators win — there are always plenty of features that Google Maps doesn’t carry, though the variety and versatility of those mapplets requires some serious thinking out of the box. Perhaps by offering analysis tools?
• Map lit: MIT Technology Review’s How Google maps the world. One for the parents.
• Virtual Earth reference links: Virtual Earth’s interactive SDK version 6.0, with an explanation of what’s new. MapCruncher, already the best and easiest tool for easily placing overlays onto the map, gets an overhaul too, and is now officially in Beta (Windows only).
• EarthNC content update: Tide predictions and marine weather forecasts. For the US; registration required.
• S60 mapping: Google Maps Mobile gets a GPS location function. Memo to self: Test this and compare to Mobile GMaps when you have a moment.
• PhotoKML: PhotoKML lets you create KML files for georeferenced photos on your Mac.
• Where 2.0: Where 2.0 2008 will be on May 12-14 in California, as usual. There is a call for participation; deadline: 26 November, 2007.
• Seeking alpha: Leszek Pawlowicz over at Free Geography tools is looking for alpha testers for a new Google Earth utility he’s making. His previous tool was a KML time embedder for PC.

Never a dull moment in the brave new mapping world. Yesterday, Microsoft introduced support for a sizable subset of KML in Virtual Earth. Today Google adds support for the network link to Google Maps. The network link is the single-most powerful KML tag in Google Earth; it lets you subscribe to live, changing datasets, and it can also be used to return data dynamically, customized to your view or other inputs.

Here’s a network link I prepared earlier:-) Notice too the way in which Google Maps preserves the folder structure of the KML:

(Via Digital Earth Blog. Mickey is very happy:-)