SOME of the world鈥檚 most dramatic landscapes jump out of this 3D map of South America, released by NASA last week. The computer-generated map comes from data gathered by the space shuttle Endeavour in February 2000, when a radar system incorporating a 60-metre mast 鈥� the largest fold-out structure in space 鈥� bounced signals off 80 per cent of the world鈥檚 landmass.
On the colour-coded map, low levels are green and mountains rise through yellow and tan to white at their highest points. The dominant feature is the Andes, its mountains and volcanoes built mainly by the Nazca tectonic plate sliding underneath western South America.
Another highlight is the branching drainage pattern of the Amazon basin. Further south, there are fractures parallel to the east coast that probably started to form when South America drifted away from Africa, about 130 million years ago. 鈥淭hese new data highlight the tremendous diversity of South America鈥檚 geology as never before,鈥� says Michael Kobrick of NASA鈥檚 Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The measurements could help minimise damage from natural disasters such as earthquakes, and improve safety for aircraft in mountainous regions.
Advertisement