| GlobeXplorer's Zoom
Levels
World / Nation Level
 Aerial
views which allow you to detect objects on the ground that are 1
kilometer or larger. At this viewing level, compelling cloud-free images
of the entire Earth are produced by combining hundreds of individual
weather satellite images together. Images at this level are commonly
referred to as AVHRR (Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer)
images and are typically used to monitor marine and biosphere conditions.
When viewing images at the 'World/Country Level,'
both land and ocean areas are enhanced with shaded relief imagery,
which helps to show the three dimensional aspect of the Earth's
topography.
Images at this level are most useful for mapping
global scale processes and make excellent presentation tools within
graphics.
Regional Level
 Aerial
views which allow you to detect objects on the ground ranging in
size from 15 meters to 1,000 meters. At the 'Regional Level,' satellite views showcase
an entire state or large areas within a state or country. Within
the 'Regional Level,' a number of image views are available from
the GlobeXplorer image archive, including 400 meter, 180 meter,
and 150 meter natural and false color multispectral composite images.
Additionally, 15-100 meter radar images are available.
Images at this level are often created by combining
two or more images into one larger image. A key aspect of combining
images is to color balance the connecting seams so that the individual
images form one larger seamless image. Depending on the image and
the photographic process used to obtain that image, the colors you
see may vary from actual earth tones (light greens, browns) to exaggerated
(false color) tones that are used to highlight specific areas of
vegetation, concrete or other aspects of the terrain. This is the
reason that some objects, such as rocks or concrete appear purplish
in color, and why living plants are vivid green.
Land use change studies are an ideal application
for this dataset.
City Level
 This
level includes aerial views that allow you to detect objects on
the ground ranging in size from 5 meters to 15 meters. At the City level, GlobeXplorer delivers full resolution
false and natural color image tiles that make up part of the larger
image views within Regional Level data. A number of images from
a variety of satellite imaging processes are available at this level.
Depending on the image and the photographic process
used to obtain that image, the colors you see may vary from actual
earth tones (light greens, browns) to exaggerated (false color)
tones that are used to highlight specific areas of vegetation, concrete
or other aspects of the terrain. This is the reason that some objects,
such as rocks or concrete appear purplish in color, and why living
plants are vivid green.
Images at the City Level are used for viewing large
areas while affording enough detail to view land patterns and environmental
boundaries. The collection of images at this level can be used to
classify land properties and measure areas for large-scale planning
and change detection.
Neighborhood Level
 Neighborhood
Level images vary from high resolution, vivid color to detailed
black and white photography and satellite imagery. Images within
this level provide a high level of ground detail and cover an area
of detail ranging from 1 meter to 5 meters. The most commonly used
process for obtaining images within the Neighborhood Level is high
altitude aerial photography. As a result, much of the United States
is covered and available from GlobeXplorer. Color photography available from GlobeXplorer covers
a ground area of 1 meter and ranges in scale from 1:36000 to 1:40000.
These images cover more than 40 of the largest metropolitan cities
in the United States and the addition of new cities at this level
is rapidly growing in GlobeXplorer's archive. No other single photographic
source covers as much of the American landscape. Imagery in this
group provides a rich source of geoinformation for the real estate,
insurance, and general planning businesses that rely on visual information
for their critical planning projects.
Street Level
 This
level includes aerial views that allow you to detect objects on
the ground less than 1 meter in size. The largest international collection of published
high-resolution photography can be found here. Photographs from
over 100 U.S. and international cities are available at this detail
and precision. The images available at this level represent the
most current photography available in the commercial market.
Street Level images have vivid colors and images
are sharp enough to view lines in the street. Street centerlines
can be digitized on these photographs and combined with older planning
documents for parcel updates and tax assessment. Public work departments
can use this data as a source of baseline mapping. Images of this
caliber and detail can saves millions of dollars in field inspection;
smart planning design, and accurate engineering specs.
Property Level
 Aerial
views at this level allow you to detect objects on the ground that
are as small as 1 foot in size. The property level offers the greatest detail and
sharpest resolution available. At this level, individual properties
can be located and viewed, and yards, parking, and other surrounding
features can be detected. This level is most useful for residential
and commercial brokers, and for individual home buyers. Additionally,
insurance agents and local and state government agencies benefit
from this level of detailed view. |
