Maps in the News: Indonesia and the Java Sea

National Geographic map of Indonesia (GIS Research and Map Collection)

Indonesian government agency, Bakosurtanal, map showing monthly rainfall and rainy days 

(GIS Research and Map Collection)

Mapping the News: ESRI GIS Story Map of AirAsia Flight 8501

ESRI, the leading GIS software developer, has created an interactive story map depicting the details of AirAsia Flight 8501.  The flight disappeared somewhere over the Java Sea on December 28 on a flight from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore.

Users can scroll through pages providing information about the flight.  The first map shows the planned flight path and the location where air traffic controllers lost contact with the flight, near the Billiton Islands (above, click to enlarge National Geographic map).  The second page includes information about the aircraft and number of passengers and crew.

A radar map shows the type of clouds that were in the area during the flight.  (December is monsoon season in the area—see map above).  And a chart depicts altitude and speed changes.  A third map shows the search area of the Java Sea.  The sites of information centers at other regional airports are also depicted, and the page includes the number for the Emergency Call Center.

For more information about using GIS story maps, visit the ESRI Web page or the Storytelling with Maps gallery. 

The Ball State University Libraries’ provides access to the latest ESRI GIS software on computers in the Architecture Library, Bracken Library’s lower level, and first floor.  The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes a GIS lab with 28 high-end computers featuring GIS and other software.  The lab is available for class sessions, and the GIS Specialist is available for instruction and research assistance.

For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.