NASA reveals crystal clear map of Antarctica

NASA reveals crystal clear map of Antarctica

The US space agency on Tuesday unveiled a new map of Antarctica with satellite images of unprecedented clarity that scientists say will transform research into the frozen continent.

The map was produced from about 1,100 pictures taken by NASA's satellite Landsat 7, showing precise details of landscape features half the size of a basketball court.

The result is the most precise map of Antarctica ever made with accurate colors and high-resolution views, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in a release. It was made to coincide with the International Polar Year, 2007-2008.

"This mosaic of images opens up a new window to the Antarctic that we just haven't had before," said Robert Bindschadler, chief scientist of the Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences Laboratory at NASA in Greenbelt, Maryland.

"It will open new windows of opportunity for scientific research as well as enable the public to become much more familiar with Antarctica and how scientists use imagery in their research," Bindschadler said.

He compared the new map to "watching high-definition TV in living color versus watching the picture on a grainy black-and-white television."

He said the map will allow scientists to better survey and follow changes on the southernmost continent, where the effects of global warming have become increasingly apparent.

NASA also said the detailed map could help guide scientific expeditions to the polar region and assist researchers studying changes in elevation in more remote areas.

The map was the work of a team of researchers at NASA, the US Geological Survey and the British Antarctic Survey using 1,100 images taken by Landsat 7 between 1999 and 2001.

The first satellite pictures of Antarctica were taken in 1972 after the launch of the first Landsat satellite. Before that, scientists trying to map Antarctica relied on airplanes and survey ships.


The US space agency on Tuesday unveiled a new map of Antarctica with satellite images of unprecedented clarity that scientists say will transform research into the frozen continent.