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from the still-no-sign-of-my-secret-lair dept.
500 terabytes of data transmitted over 6 years (January 2010 through December 2015) have been processed into a seamless 3-dimensional world map of unprecedented accuracy. According to the German Aerospace Center (DLR, or Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt),
[...] The project required two satellites to fly in close proximity, as close as 120 meters apart as the project team establish breakthroughs in the technology for maneuvering the satellites. The precision flight allowed the data to be processed into maps with elevation accuracy of 1 meter. The 500 terabytes grew to 2.6 petabytes in processing, but the computers used met the challenge.
The map, officially known as the TanDEM-X global elevation model, can serve as an invaluable resource to earth scientists studying the planet we call home. But it offers amazing images to the general public as well. The image at top shows a landmark in Mauritania visible from space. Other images at the DLR site depict the craters of the nuclear tests in the desert northwest of Las Vegas, chain of volcanoes, and videos depicting the Elephant Foot Glacier and the Namib-Naukluft National Park.
And, from the DLR link:
New Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) methods will enable diverse data for exploration of the global ecosystem to be provided within short periods of time. The Tandem-L successor mission could provide a current elevation image of Earth's entire landmass every eight days and thereby capture dynamic processes in a timely manner. This would also make it possible to contribute to the review of international climate and environmental agreements.
A 1m resolution 3D map of the Earth is extraordinary.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 13 2016, @01:59PM
.. is it round, or flat?
(Score: 2) by weeds on Thursday October 13 2016, @02:17PM
If it was flat, a 2D map would have worked, Duh!
Get money out of politics! [mayday.us]
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday October 13 2016, @05:51PM
If you ask my front tires, the world is just one long straight line.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 13 2016, @02:42PM
Wake up sheeple!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 13 2016, @03:53PM
Wake up sheeple!
Aaaargh! What are you doing! You fool! You'll doom us all!
(Score: 3, Informative) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Thursday October 13 2016, @03:43PM
I am reminded of an article explaining that both theories are right enough for most purposes, and wrong for the pendants.
The Relativity of Wrong [tufts.edu]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 13 2016, @05:13PM
But the fundamental difference between the round-earth and flat-earth theories is not the quantitative difference in curvature, which is indeed small enough for many purposes, it's a qualitative difference in how points on the Earth are connected.
So calling it "nearly right" is just bullshit -- it's nearly right in one aspect, but completely wrong in another.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by edIII on Thursday October 13 2016, @08:50PM
The theory lasted until we effectively explored the Earth while simultaneously increasing the speed, veracity, and quantity of information exchange.
Kind of hard to have a flat Earth when you can travel parallel to the equator and meet the people you left behind on your trip in front of you a few days later. At that point, any idiot can figure out "you're going in a circle Frank", and extrapolate from there.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by weeds on Thursday October 13 2016, @09:48PM
Love that article and quote it often!
Get money out of politics! [mayday.us]
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 14 2016, @01:48AM
pedants
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 13 2016, @04:23PM
The answer to your question is a clear "Yes".
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Thursday October 13 2016, @06:16PM
.. is it round, or flat?
Don't know. It was too busy raising it's kids.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 14 2016, @12:09AM
Your forehead, or Earth?