Biologists, epidemiologists and disaster control experts are discovering Google Earth as a powerful tool in their work. The success of the digital globe has reawakened interest in computer mapping models.

Erik Born constantly keeps tabs on the whereabouts of his walruses no matter what part of the Arctic Sea they might decide to visit on a given day. Just off Greenland 's ice-bound coast last spring, the Danish biologists managed to embed tiny tracking sensors in the animals' blubber. Now, he can follow his subjects through the four seasons, wherever they might migrate.

Born doesn't even have to leave his own office. Instead, Google Earth's digital globe rotates on his computer monitor. A position marker on the screen identifies the position of each walrus.

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