Have you ever been outside wondering what species those interesting animal, bird, insect ot plant that you see is? And do you want to learn more about the habitats in Bulgaria? In this series of "Press F1" you'll see several free apps which you can use outside.

You can see the record as well as my comment on the topic HERE (in Bulgarian).

The article is available in Bulgarian only HERE.

The article is available in Bulgarian only HERE.

Map ource: www.citiesandmemory.com

'Sounding Nature'  is the newest map by the collaborative sound project Cities and Memory.  It consists of nearly 500 sounds from 55 countries - a large collection of authentic sounds recorded in remote locations, undisturbed by human activities. Clicking on each pin you'll find two records - the original one and the musical remix it inspired. Enjoy!

The following story is available in Bulgarian only and yet it's worth seeing: a year in Bulgaria represented by many photos and 12 thematic maps. Enjoy!

The article is available only in Bulgarian HERE.

Tanya Slavova, Atanas Rusev, Asparuh Kamburov

Caves are natural underground spaces formed and shaped over millions of years. Usually part of bigger caverns, they give a first-hand view of water, biology, oil and other subsurface distributions as well as a glimpse of the past when they perhaps offered a shelter or sanctuary. Therefore, when exploring a cave, it is useful to not only collect geometric information such as gallery dimensions and directions but also to take photographs and notes of any specific features of interest. Since safe storage, easy management and proper representation of spatial data can be difficult using traditional methods, these are all key requirements in the search for modern solution.

Eng. Tanya Slavova

Abstract: It is made a review of the classical techniques and devices used for mapping underground galleries and natural caves. A new method is supposed and realized by the means of modern technologies in the Pepelyankata cave nearby the village of Bosnek, Pernik Province.

A GPS receiver is used to determine the coordinates of an initial point, which accuracy is later improved by postprocessing. Another device - a combination between a laser rangefinder, a compass and an inclinometer, is used to measure the polygon and certain points inside the cave. All of the measurements are transferred wirelessly to a PDA device and represented by a suitable field software with GIS capabilities. Some other data, including photos made by the PDA’s integrated camera, is collected as an additional attribute information about the points.

Back in the office, it is built-up a TIN model to define the main direction of the cave, its surface, volume and other morphological features. It is also compared with the results of a previous mapping of the cave which is done by other means, to figure out the advantages and disadvantages of the supposed method. The model is also drawn on an orthophoto map of the region in order to find relations between the geological features of the ground and cave’s morphology.