The Role of Virtual Globes in Geoscience

One of the difficulties faced by Earth scientists of all disciplines is how to effectively communicate their research to both other scientists and the general public. With increased attention paid to the health of the planet, the activities of geoscientists in particular are falling under the spotlight of public interest. In age where the internet availability has brought an expectation of information being instantly visible in a graphically rich format, the development of Virtual Globes --computer-based representations of the real-world--has become a natural progression for how best to view these data. In this special issue we bring together a cross-selection of the many examples of how Virtual Globe technologies are being used for geoscience.