The Map of Life

The Map of Life is an impressive attempt to map life on Earth.

Using the application it is possible to click on a Google Map and get a list of all the different types of bird, fish, reptile, amphibian or mammal that live in a set radius around that location. For example, if I click on my address the map returns a list of 168 different types of bird and 32 different types of mammal.

It is also possible to use the map to view the worldwide habitats of different species. If you enter the name of an animal species the map will shade in the areas of the world that the animal inhabits.

Earth Hour on Google Maps

On March 31 people around the world switched off their lights for Earth Hour.

The World Wildlife Fund has created a Google Map called Show Us Your Earth Hour 2012. The map displays photographs and videos from around the world showing what participants did for Earth Hour.

If you click on a map marker you can also click through to read details about how the respondents spent their hour of darkness.

Hat-tip: Street View Funny

Harvesting Water with Google Maps

Save the Rain is a great application that helps users determine how much rainfall can be harvested from any roof in the world.

Using Google Maps satellite imagery of your house it is possible to draw a polygon on the map to determine the area of your roof. The application then uses the yearly precipitation data for your area to work out how much rainwater you could harvest in a year.

The results also display a number of different types of crops and tells you how much you could grow of each crop with the water harvested.

In addition to the water harvesting calculation tool Save the Rain provides a number of rain related choropleth map views. One map view displays worldwide annual rainfall. Another map view shows the projected change in annual precipitation by 2100. A third map view displays the percentage of the world's population with access to an adequate amount of water.

The Real Heat Map of England

The UK Department for Energy and Climate Change has released a real heat map for England. I say 'real' because it actually uses Google Maps to display heat use at building level throughout England.

The CEO - Heatmap shows heat demand from individual buildings throughout England and provides a range of tools to help developers and planners identify priority areas for low carbon heat projects.

The map was created using a bottom-up address level model of heat demand and does not use personal data (for example from individual household meter readings). It estimates the total heat demand of every address in England based on published sub-national energy consumption statistics.

The model seems very accurate. I notice in the streets around my location that the map shows much more energy consumption in blocks of flats than in individual homes.

Water Quality on Google Maps

French website Que Qhoisir has created a Google Map showing the The Quality of French Tap Water. The map is based on the results of a water analysis of 36,568 communes by the Ministry of Health.

Users of the map can search the map by address or postcode. The map will then display the tap water quality results recorded near that location. Each result give details about the quality of the water under a number of headings, including pesticides, selenium, bacteria, radioactivity and aluminum.

Solar Grid Parity on Google Maps

Energy Self-Reliant States has created an animated Google Map to show how "within a decade 100 million Americans could get cheaper electricity from rooftop solar".

Re-mapping Solar Grid Parity shows when major metropolitan areas are likely to be able to beat grid prices by using solar power. The map includes an animated timeline that adds the metropolitan areas to the map when they are likely to reach the tipping point of solar power being cheaper than grid prices.

This map includes the 30% federal tax credit for solar power. If you want to see when areas will reach grid parity without taking into account the federal tax credit you can use the original Mapping Solar Grid Parity Map.

Recycling Google Maps Directions - Chicago

Recycle City Chicago helps citizens of the windy city find the closet recycling drop-off center from their location.

The application was the winner of the Green Opportunities Award in the Apps for Metro Chicago competition and it easy to see why. If users enter their address into the Google Map they can get turn by turn driving directions to their nearest recycling center.

If you click on a recycling center's marker on the map you can view the opening hours and the materials that can be recycled at the center.

Recycling Google Maps Driving Directions

Rota da Reciclagem is a Google Maps based application that provides Brazilians with driving directions to their nearest recycling centre.

Users of the application can enter their home address and the map will automatically display a polygon showing the route to the nearest recycling centre. A map marker displays the user's home location. Click on the map marker and a link is provided to view turn-by-turn directions to the recycling centre.

The Google Maps API as a GIS

The Kentucky Land Use Map is a very impressive Google Map from The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. It is another great example of the Google Maps API being used as a fully functioning geographic information system.

The map allows the user to view a number of land use data clouds directly on the map. The layers include soil boundaries and flood zones. It is also possible to click on the map and view the NRCS soil survey data for the chosen location.

Fukushima Real-Time Radiation Map

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan has released a real-time map of radiation measurements in Fukushima Prefecture. The Japan Radiation Monitoring Map uses Google Maps to show the radiation levels measured by monitors throughout the Fukishima Prefecture.

The measurements displayed on the map are updated every ten minutes. The map uses a marker clustering system to show how many radiation monitor measurements are available at different locations. If you click on a marker all the measurements from that point can be viewed in the map sidebar.

Plant & Animal Life Cycles on Google Maps

The USA National Phenology Network's Phenology Visualization Tool helps monitor the influence of climate on the phenology of plants, animals, and landscapes in the U.S..

The site allows users to select a plant or animal and view where that species has been reported on a Google Map. It is then possible to view an animation of the species' phenology (phenology refers to recurring plant and animal life cycle stages) through time.

It is also possible to view climate data on the same map. Users can view maximum temperature, minimum temperature and precipitation either by month or annually. If you animate species data through time, with climate visible, you will see the climate data on the background change alongside the phenology data.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions on Google Maps

The United States Environment Protection Agency has launched a Greenhouse Gas Data Publication Tool that allows users to view and sort 2010 greenhouse gas emissions data from over 6,700 facilities.

The tool uses Google Maps to allow the user to search and display the data in a number of ways, including by facility, location, industrial sector, and the type of GHG emitted. The tool can be used by individuals and communities to identify nearby sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

As well as providing the useful map view the site also includes tools to view the data in a number of different chart views.

Via: @geoparadigm

The Google Maps Carbon Calculator

Vizzuality's Carbon Calculator is a very impressive Google Maps based app that details the potential contribution of any area in the world to climate change mitigation.

The map allows users to draw an area anywhere in the world and view the carbon currently stored in the area, as well as the amount of additional carbon that potentially could be sequestered through restoration. Moreover, it links this information with the conservation value and forest status of the area.

To search an area users just need to click the 'Draw Polygon' button and define an area on the map (when finished remember to click on the first point added to finish defining your area). The calculation will start as soon as an area has been drawn and the results will be visible after a short moment in the map side panel. As well as drawing an area users can select from existing protected areas.

There is a huge amount of data behind this map which is made possible by using CartoDB as the backend.

Tracking Turtles with Google Maps

Sea Turtle Conservation, on the the Caribbean island of Bonaire, have been tracking turtles since 2003. The Previously Tracked Turtles Map shows the tracks of the 21 adult turtles that have been tracked since the programme began.

This year Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire have developed the Great Migration Game to follow the movements of one turtle, called Jklynn. School students in Bonaire can predict where the sea turtle will end up and win some great prizes if they guess correctly.

You can see Jklynn's current position on this Jklynn Google Map.

Via: Google LatLong

Displaying Sanitation Data on Google Maps

SanMap uses Google Maps with data from Water for People and WaterAid to provide sanitation maps for Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Kampala in Uganda and Kigali in Rwanda.

Built with the help of Google Fusion Tables the map allows users to overlay a number of data layers on top of Google Maps of the three cities. As well as providing data about local sanitation the layers include overlays showing areas prone to flooding and to outbreaks of cholera.

Sound Pollution on Google Maps

AirCasting is a platform for recording, mapping, and sharing environmental data using your smartphone. Currently, AirCasters can upload sound level data recorded by an Android app.

AirCasting currently maps noise levels but there are plans to expand the range of devices that plug into the AirCasting platform to include pollution sensors. Currently the AirCasting smartphone app lets you capture real-world sound measurements, annotate the data and share it on a Google Map.

You can view an example of AirCasting in action on this Times Square to Central Park map. The map shows the noise levels recorded on a walk up 7th Ave from Times Sqaure. Using the map you can see how noise levels are very high in Times Square and again at 57th Street before dropping almost immediately upon entering Central Park.

Light Pollution on Google Maps

One of the biggest problems for urban astronomers is light pollution. The Blue Marble Nightlights map is a Google Map that shows this problem worldwide.

Blue Marble Nightlights is a composite map of satellite images taken in 2003. Even if you aren't concerned about light pollution the map provides an interesting insight into urban centres in the first world (many non-first world cities are still relatively dark at night).

Europe and the Eastern USA are lit up like a Christmas tree. In Australia you can just make out most of the coast, whilst the interior of the country remains largely unlit.

Also See

• Earth Lights - another map of the night sky
• Globe at Night - a survey of light pollution

Electronic Recycling Points on Google Maps

If you need to recycle electronic appliances in Brazil then you need e-lixo. E-lixo is a Google Maps based search engine for finding the location of collection points and recycle bins for electronic appliances throughout Brazil.

Searching for nearby recycling locations involves entering a location and the type of electronic appliance that needs to be recycled. E-lixo then displays a Google Map showing nearby collection points. If you click on one of the returned map markers you can view details of the recycling centre's address and phone number.

The Coal Seam Gas Rush on Google Maps

ABC News has used Fusion Tables and Google Maps to help map Australia's Coal Seam Gas Rush.

ABC News estimate that there will be at least 40,000 coal seam gas wells in Australia by 2030. The map allows users to search for gas wells by location and explore the full extent of coal seam gas mining in the Great Artesian Basin.

It is possible to click on individual wells to see their status, depth, the name of the company that owns the well and the exact geographical location. The 'leases' tab allows users to see where coal seam gas companies have the right to look for more gas.

Tracking Invasive Species with Google Maps

iMapInvasives is an initiative established to track invasive species in the United States.

So far the project has created four maps, using the Google Maps API, to map invasive species in Florida, New York, Oregon and Vermont. Each map allows the user to view a heat map for the distribution of different invasive species in the state.

Different species can can be selected from the map sidebar. The sidebar also contains other overlays that can be added to the map, such as county boundaries.