Death Valley, California, which has the lowest point in North America (Badwater at 85.5 metres below sea level). It is also the driest and hottest location in North America.
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Space data makes new 3D map of Earth
2 July 2009
US and Japan space agencies have released a new digital terrain map of Earth that covers more of our planet than ever before.
The new "global digital elevation" 3D model of the surface of the Earth was created from nearly 1.3 million individual stereo-pair images collected by Japan's Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument aboard NASA's Terra spacecraft.
"This is the most complete, consistent global digital elevation data yet made available to the world," said Woody Turner, ASTER programme scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This unique global set of data will serve users and researchers from a wide array of disciplines that need elevation and terrain information."
According to Mike Abrams, ASTER science team leader at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the new 3D surface information will be of value throughout the Earth sciences and has many practical applications.
"ASTER's accurate topographic data will be used for engineering, energy exploration, conserving natural resources, environmental management, public works design, fire-fighting, recreation, geology and city planning, to name just a few areas," Abrams said.
In the Bhutan Himalayas, ASTER data have revealed differences in the flow rates of glaciers flow.
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Previously, the most complete topographic set of data publicly available was from a NASA space shuttle downward-looking radar mission. That mission mapped 80 percent of Earth's landmass, between 60 degrees north latitude and 57 degrees south.
The new ASTER data expands coverage to 99 percent, from 83 degrees north latitude and 83 degrees south. Each elevation measurement point in the new data is 30 metres apart.
NASA and Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, known as METI, developed the data set. It is available online to users everywhere at no cost.
ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched on Terra in December 1999. ASTER acquires images from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength bands, with spatial resolutions ranging from about 15 to 90 metres.
Adapted from information issued by NASA / JPL.
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