The term “phantom island” refers to an island that appeared on historical maps (sometimes for many years) even though it doesn’t exist. Most phantom islands emerged from the era of European sea exploration and colonization. Phantom Islands – A Sonic Atlas is a project that pairs original sound recordings with 27 phantom islands. Each of these islands are placed according to their coordinates on historical maps. Visitors can explore these individual islands by either taking a “cruise” or by navigating with their cursor. As one visits each island, they will hear a unique soundscape and can read about the island’s history, including the date of the island’s first and last appearance in print. Check it out!
Eruptions, Earthquakes, and Emissions
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has an interactive map for you to view a time-lapse animation of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes since 1960, and sulfer dioxide emissions from vulcanic eruptions since 1978. As you watch the animation, you can click on the symbols to view more information about specific earthquakes or volcanic explosions. If you are interested in further exploring this data you can download the datasets in a CSV or GeoJSON file. Check it out!
Fireworks 2018!
July 4th is almost here, and that means fireworks again! The fireworks app that has been used in the past few years has been updated, adding cities in San Bernardino County. Continue reading
2018 ESRI UC Live Stream
At the 2018 ESRI User Conference on July 9th, the Plenary session will be live streamed on the internet from 8:30am to 3:30pm PDT. So if you cannot make the conference, you can at least check out the Plenary session. Recorded videos will also be available online afterward.
UPDATE: View videos here.
World Cup Story Map
ESRI and DigitalGlobe have created a story map that visualizes the 12 stadiums being used for FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia. The World Cup is a major sports draw every 4 years, with over 3.2 billion people watching. Even more remarkable is that this is the first time the event has taken place in Russia. Check it out!
The Phantom Atlas
Looking for a gift for someone who loves maps? Take a look at The Phantom Atlas. Long before satellites and Google, cartographers traced out maps of the world, some with errors that persisted for hundreds of years. The Phantom Atlas compiles the greatest “myths, lies and blunders” on maps, from honest mistakes to deliberate lies. Check out this interview with the author:
Hardcover and Kindle versions available on Amazon:
ESRI UC State and Local Government Social
The 2018 ESRI User Conference in San Diego is rapidly approaching. Is your government agency sending you to the conference this year? Why not attend the State and Local Government Social at the Hilton on Wednesday, July 11 from 6-8pm? Hope to see you there!
GIS Meme
This one made me laugh!

Spaces in file names were a big problem with my GIS students.
Why Aerial Imagery Resolution Matters
Just found this interesting article about why you want the highest resolution imagery possible for your projects. Check it out.




