Sunday, September 30, 2018

Mapa da Antárctida à lupa ? Sim, agora é possível !




credits: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Podemos agora visitar a Antárctida através de um mapa muito detalhado. Sim, agora podemos ver este continente longínquo à lupa. 

Uma equipa de cientistas anunciou que foi feito o mapa mais detalhado da superfície continente Antárctida. Chama-se Modelo Referencial de Altitude da Antárctida (Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica – REMA) e pode ser importante para entendermos melhor as perdas de gelo.






credits: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Para conceber o mapa, os cientistas usaram dados de vários satélites que orbitam a Terra. Esses dados foram fornecidos pela National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, que faz parte do Departamento de Defesa dos Estados Unidos. 

Ao todo, a equipa usou 187.585 imagens compiladas ao longo de seis anos. E como as imagens eram muito pormenorizadas, os cientistas tiveram de reunir os dados em supercomputadores muito potentes.




credits: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

A high resolution terrain map of Earth’s frozen continent will help researchers better track changes on the ice as the planet warms.

You may never make it to the South Pole, but you can now see Antarctica and its glaciers in unprecedented detail.
Researchers in September 7, 2018 announced the release of a new high resolution terrain map of the southernmost continent, called the Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica, or REMA, which they say makes Antarctica the best mapped continent on Earth.


credits: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency


The team used 187,585 images collected over six years to create the map.
“Until now, we’ve had a better map of Mars than we’ve had of Antarctica,” 
Dr. Howat.

credits: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

The pictures are so detailed they had to use one of the most powerful supercomputers on Earth to ingest the data. Having access to this amount of information will allow researchers to better monitor the effects of climate change on the ice.

Antarctica is the most desolate and inhospitable place on Earth and its remoteness makes monitoring changes in the fluctuations of ice and water levels difficult. 

Because of the warming climate, seasonal changes at Antarctica are becoming more severe, making the need to understand the loss of ice even more important. Read more here 

Geração 'explorer'

30.09.2018
Licença Creative Commons
sources: The New York Times/ Science
Público/ Geografia

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