GOCE Satellite Determines Gravitational Force In The Himalayas

Measuring the field with previously unattainable precision - thereby contributing to the understanding of its effects - is the task of GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer), which lifted into earth's orbit on March 17, 2009

by Staff Writers Munich, Germany (SPX) May 10, 2010  
ESA's GOCE satellite has been orbiting the Earth for more than a year and surveying its gravitational field more accurately than any instrument previously. The goal of the researchers - including scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) - is to determine the gravitational force in precise detail even in pathless places like the Himalayas. Evaluations of the first data from the satellite indicate that current models of the gravitational field in some regions can be fundamentally revised. On that basis, researchers expect to develop a better understanding of many geophysical processes, including for example earthquakes and ocean circulation. 

EADS and Thales in French geomatics deal

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

by Staff Writers Paris (UPI) Apr 28, 2010 The French defense procurement agency DGA awarded a $35 million contract to EADS Defense & Security and Thales to produce and support two sets of deployable geographic modules. EADS DS, as a prime contractor in cooperation with Thales, will develop the MGPs for the 28th Geographic Group of the French army.
The MGPs will allow the updating of field maps through a single cartographic access point by troops deployed on a mission or in the field, a statement by EADS said. It will complement the 3-D digital geographical data program developed in France for mass production of geographical information.

High-tech mapping could show Gulf oil impacts: expert

by Staff Writers
New Orleans, Louisiana (AFP) May 10, 2010 

A French researcher has suggested an aerial map-making technique could be a valuable tool to show where oil from a giant spill is washing ashore in the Gulf of Mexico. SHOALS-1000 has been used by the US military to map coastlines but never before to measure an oil slick's presence on shore, said Antoine Cottin, a 34-year-old researcher at the University of Southern Mississippi.
The technique, developed by a Canadian company, involves a plane flying over a given maritime zone carrying bundles of lasers that sweep the surface of the sea and the seabed, mapping in detail the depths and underwater terrain.