Coffee & Viz - Exploring the Solar System with Google Earth

Google Earth represents an incredible resource with which to explore the surface of Earth. It is configured to be user friendly, it contains terabytes of image and topographic data of Earth, and it has proven itself to be an indispensable tool for geoscience research. Importantly, Google Earth also contains substantial data sets for the Moon and Mars, including image, spectral, and altimetric data as well as information on prominent landforms. In this presentation, Dr. Paul Byrne will use Google Earth to identify and describe key tectonic, volcanic, and impact cratering landforms on Earth, before comparing and contrasting them to similar landforms on the Moon and Mars. From frozen lava seas, to scarp-like mountains, to the largest volcano in the Solar System, Google Earth allows us to explore the Solar System with ease, while offering an unprecedented insight into the geology of our own world.

Dr. Paul Byrne is an assistant professor of planetary geology in the Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at NC State.