Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/59336
Time-sensitive GeoWorld departments such as NetLink, PeopleLink, Product News and Business News now are maintained solely at the GeoPlace.com Web site. Check there often for the latest updates as they happen. Alaskan Survey Delivers New Data on Permafrost An airborne survey in Alaska produced images showing the extent of permafrost in the state's Yukon Flats area. Located near the boundary of continuous permafrost to the north and discontinuous permafrost to the south, the area is considered important for studying the dynamics of permafrost—a layer of permanently frozen soil. The survey, conducted using electromagnetic technol- ogy, explored permafrost to depths of approximately 328 feet and provided a more-detailed picture than provided by conventional methods such as bore holes and other ground-based methods. Knowing where permafrost exists is considered crucial for determining hydrologic and ecologic effects of climate warming. The information also helps provide a baseline for future permafrost studies. The aerial survey used equipment for transmitting elec- tromagnetic signals that induced secondary currents in Earth. The secondary currents subsequently were sensed by devices aboard the aerial platform and analyzed to derive permafrost data. "Liquid water conducts electricity better than ice," said Marcia McNutt, director of the U.S. Geological Survey, which conducted the survey. "We can detect from the air the weak magnetic fields generated by those electric currents, thus distinguishing quickly and easily melted from frozen ground. A screenshot shows Geosoft grids for permafrost-related data being displayed with Esri's ArcMap application. New permafrost data for Alaska's Yukon Flats area is providing researchers with new tools for mapping and studying hydrologic and ecologic conditions in the region. This new technology, and the maps of changing permafrost, will be valuable for climate-change research and engineer- ing in the challenging Alaskan environment." Arvada, Colo., in a space that houses more than 130 employees. Although Premier Geospatial provides geospatial services such as digital aerial imagery acquisi- tion, orthophotography, remote-sensing analysis and land surveying, Premier Data provides data- management services and products such as land- records management, GIS application development and data entry. French Court Rules against Google on Maps Issue A French court ruled in early February 2012 that Google must pay €500,000 in damages and €15,000 in fines as a result of business practices alleged to be anti-competitive. The ruling stems from a complaint by French com- pany Bottin Cartographes, which claimed that Google France and Google Inc. competed unfairly by offering Web-mapping services for free to some businesses. Bottin offers similar services, but charges a fee. French news agency AFP reported that Bottin's lawyer, Jean-David Scemmama, described the ruling as "a decision without precedent." "We proved the illegality of [Google's] strategy to remove its competitors," said Scemmama. "The court recognized the unfair and abusive character of the meth- ods and allocated Bottin Cartographes all it claimed." Google intends to appeal the decision, which was handed down by the French Tribunal de Commerce. In a statement provided to media, a Google spokesperson said, "We remain convinced that a free, high-quality mapping tool is beneficial for both Internet users and Web sites. There remains competition in this sector for us, both in France and internationally." MARCH 2O12 / WWW . GEOPLA CE . C O M 7 USGS