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Published: Jul 9 2009
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Statewide Climate Projections: decadal averages for summer and winter

submitted Sep 11, 2008 (updated Apr 30, 2009)

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Welcome to the Google Earth interface for the Scenario Network for Alaska Planning (SNAP). This tool allows users easy access to interactive maps of a wide range of climate projections for the state of Alaska.

To access SNAP projections in Google Earth, you will first need to download and install free Google Earth software, which is available here: http://earth.google.com/ (If you already have Google Earth, you may be automatically alerted that an update is needed when you first open SNAP climate files.)

To view SNAP climate projections, download the KML file using the Download button above [file size 333 bytes]. When you open the file, it should automatically open in Google Earth. If it does not, open Google Earth, go to "Open" in the dropdown menu at the top of your screen under "File," and browse to where you have saved the file.

Make sure the sidebar is visible; if it is not, open it under "View" in the dropdown menu. In the sidebar, you should now see SNAP files listed under "Places." Be sure that there is a check mark next to "Temporary Places." Open and close folders within "Temporary Places" by clicking on the plus (+) or minus (-) signs next to each folder. Be sure to open all folders to see the full range of options. Click on each folder name to view a description of its contents in a popup text box. To remove unwanted features (e.g., roads) from your map, click on check marks under "Layers" in the sidebar.

Which time series of maps you view on the screen depends on which radio buttons are selected. Each series can be viewed using the time line at the top of the screen. Click on the right arrow to play the time series, or view it more slowly by moving the slider with your mouse. The first time you view a set of maps, there may be a brief delay as the maps load. Subsequently, the time series should appear smoothly.

As with all Google Earth maps, you can zoom in and out for a finer scale view, and you can rotate and shift your view. Use the controls on the upper right portion of the screen to adjust, reposition, and zoom. SNAP maps in Google Earth, like other SNAP maps, are at 2km resolution.

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