Earthscapes in Time

Now What Software; (800) 843-9497, Macintosh and Windows compatible.

Accurate maps of the earth's surface have long been sought after, whether for exploration, resource evaluation, or border disputes. In the 1960s, the first manned space flights ushered in the age of satellite imagery of our planet. In addition to taking traditional photographs, modern instruments were able to record electromagnetic and thermal radiation emitted and reflected from Earth. Not surprisingly, however, the national security reconnaissance community had control over most of the early satellites in space and wanted to keep it that way Scientists, of course, have always wanted Earth-monitoring satellites to be under civilian authority. Now the recently declassified satellite data have made possible CD-ROMs, such as "Earthscapes In Time," which offer breathtaking views of Earth's surface and details about its vegetation, water clarity, land forms, and urban development.

"The Earthscape Gallery"--the core of this program--merits a serious and prolonged visit. For example, moving over the Brazilian rain forest, I focused on the area of Rondonia. A 1975 map reveals a uniformly green image, but the 1986 map unveils a far more sobering picture: a network of roads radiating throughout the rain forest. Consulting the Earthscape "Encyclopedia," I discovered that these two maps show what often happens when a road is built through a primary rain forest habitat. The road makes it easy for people to log, mine, ranch, and farm in a formerly inaccessible area. The first wave of newcomers snaps up all the land alongside the road; later arrivals fan out and develop even larger areas.

In 1981, using money from the World Bank, the Brazilian government paved the dirt tracks into Rondonia, then advertised the area as free for resettlement. Before long, hundreds of thousands of would-be farmers--five times as many as had been anticipated--poured into Rondonia. The lines clearly visible in the 1986 satellite map represent areas of rain forest that were cleared by cutting and burning, as well as an extensive network of roads. Soon after, disillusioned farmers learned what scientists had long known: most rain forest soils are almost worthless for agriculture.

Allowing users to travel from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia to the Florida Everglades, "Earthscapes In Time" is a veritable textbook on geography and conservation.

Howard Topoff is a professor of psychology at Hunter College and a research associate in the Museum's Department of Entomology.

COPYRIGHT 1997 Natural History Magazine, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning