The URL of this site is [http://www.geoscience-environment.com]
| Geoscience and Environment |
| Sundaland | "The Hindu traditions speak of Atala, a sunken Paradise lying in the Far East." These webpages are concerned with the science behind the myths, a science that describes how the continent of Sundaland was flooded as melting glaciers raised sea levels around the world |
| Landsat & ASTER views of Northwest Peninsular Malaysia |
Northwest Peninsular Malaysia with its offshore islands in the Indian Ocean are remnants of Sundaland that now stand above sea level. About 5,000 years ago, after an especially warm period when sea level was higher than now, the coastal plains emerged from beneath the sea. These web pages are a brief introduction to tools for studying the Malaysian environment, in particular Landsat and ASTER imagery, with brief reference to Malaysian geological and topographic maps. |
| Digital Elevation Model Cascade Ranges Western USA |
Meltwater from small glaciers has historically contributed to the rise in sea level. Also, meltwater helps to mobilize hazardous debris avalanches and mudflows from volcanoes. Currently, volcanoes with glaciers draw our attention, both because of the risk of volcanic eruptions and also because of recurring debris avalanches and mudflows. These webpages focus upon digital elevation models (DEMs) as tools for studying the landforms of the Cascade Ranges, with special reference to Mount Shasta in northern California. |
| Endla Mire Complex Estonia |
Estonia lies in a region of Europe that was subjected to repeated glaciations. The Endla Mire Complex lies in a transitional zone with glacial erosion in the north and west and deposition in the south and east. The general topography is hummocky, with boggy lowlands interspersed between moraines. Within the Endla Nature Reserve there are many small lakes and bogs that were once lakes. This study demonstrates how satellite images can be used to analyze the effect of variations in topography that influence plant, animal, and human activity. |
| Using remotely sensed optical, thermal, and radar data for land-use and land-cover classification | Satellite data were used to make a provisional map showing land use and land cover for a 120 km2 site in the state of Kedah, Malaysia. Airborne radar data were used in the field to refine the classification. This study supports research carried out by others suggesting that land-use and land-cover classification may be improved by using radar data as a supplement to optical and thermal data, especially where seasonal cloud cover degrades optical datasets. |
| Kite Aerial Photography Malaysia |
Georgetown, on the island of Penang, was the first British settlement in Malaysia. The founder, Francis Light, named the town after George III and the fort after Lord Cornwallis, then Governor-General of India. Recently, Fort Cornwallis and the Town Hall have been restored as heritage sites. This project describes the use of kite aerial photography (KAP) to record heritage site in an urban location. |
| Emile Argand and Mobilism | Emile Argand was a Swiss geologist and tectonics specialist who supported Wegener's theory of continental drift. This project compares Argand's map of Gondwanaland (1924) to that of Bullard (1965). |
| Topographic evidence for Quaternary sea-level change | This study develops a model for predicting the elevation of marine terraces associated with sea-level change and coastlines formed during the last million years. The site is located on Penang Island at Sungai Ara, Malaysia. |
| Land-use Change 1969-2003 Bayan Lepas, Penang Island, Malaysia | Urbanization requires conversion of land from agricultural to urban uses, the subject of this study, illustrated at Bayan Lepas, Penang Island, Malaysia. In 1969, paddy fields and quiet farm villages covered the land along the road leading to the airport. Today, Bayan Lepas is Malaysia's "Silicon Valley". |
| The Black Sea: Site of Noah's Flood? | Using a sonar device and drilling rigs, two Columbia University geophysicists probed the floor of the Black Sea. Together with Kasimieras Timkus, William Ryan and Walter Pitman recovered evidence that shows the Black Sea was once a freshwater lake cut off from the Mediterranean Sea. Until 7,150 years ago, the surface of the lake lay more than 100 meters (325 feet) below sea level. When the channel at Istanbul opened, saltwater rushed into the lake filling it to the level of the world ocean, drowning an area of land 50% greater than Ireland, almost the size of New York State. Was this Noah's flood, described in the Bible? |
| The Little Ice Age | The Little Ice-Age (LIA) was a time when global cooling brought Arctic conditions farther south and Antarctic conditions farther north, threatening the livelihoods of people in both northern and southern hemispheres. Icelandic data for sea ice suggests that the LIA cooling may have started around 1200 AD, followed by a short pause when temperatures rose briefly before falling again. Ice core data from Greenland confirms this. Possibly human activity is an important factor in global warming since 1900. A simpler explanation would be that the Earth is still recovering from the Little Ice Age and that human activity is a minor factor in global climate change. |
| Where did our African ancestors find refuge when the climate was cold and dry? | Analysis of DNA has shown that the ancestors of all modern humans passed through a population bottleneck about 70,000 years ago when the number of women of reproductive age may have fallen to below 10,000. The near-extinction of mankind coincided with a cold glacial event and the explosive eruption of the Toba volcano. This report identifies two general locations in Africa that were potential refuges for mankind: the upper Zaire valley, and the Blue Nile valley and slopes of the Ethiopian Highlands. On balance, the proximity of the Blue Nile to the routes out of Africa suggest that the valley of the Blue Nile was the more probable cradle of mankind. |
| Tsunami Impact on the West Coast of Penang Island | The Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake of December 2004 (magnitude 9.0) generated a tsunami that affected all coasts of the Indian Ocean, killed over 300,000 people, and caused loss of property and livelihood. In Malaysia, 68 people died and property losses amounted to about $25 million This study investigates physical, environmental and institutional factors that may explain why the tsunami had limited impact on the Malaysian coasts using the west coast of Penang Island as the study area. |
GalleryWorldwide | Dozens of instruments carried by satellites have been imaging the earth for over thirty years. Many are still operational and more are in the pipeline. This gallery presents a selection of images from some of these instruments. |
|
Go to Main Menu
The URL of this site is [http://www.geoscience-environment.com] |