Each week Spatial Source highlights the best that the internet has to offer.
The International Space Station has proven a valuable source of some of the most artfully taken photography of Earth from space. While cloud free imagery is usually the goal for imagery, some of these images are of nothing but clouds. Maps Mania has the run-down on the latest images from astronaut Tim Peake and where you can find some of the other great imagery available. Above is a composite of King’s Canyon area in Northern Territory, Australia taken from ISS.
This grim map by designer Moriz Büsing details no less than 32,000 deaths of migrants to Europe over the last 15 years. The design and colours illicit the effect of desperation and danger that the refugees suffer when either entering into Europe or trying to settle once there.
Climate change is already affecting many parts of the Pacific Islands. But due to their location in the centre of Earth’s largest ocean, they are often left off the maps in any reporting on climate change. In his Medium article, Dietmar Offenhuber explains the implications of Oceania being “the truncated continent.”
Even if you don’t speak Norwegian, this 3D story map of the remote island of Fuglefjellet is a remarkable demonstration of how GIS can be used to educate, inform and protect sensitive ecosystems. And as Maps Mania explain, you can also view seven live webcams of bird nesting locations.
National Park maps are some of the most impressive maps in existence- both expressing the natural beauty of an area with 3D, whilst also acting as a reliable guide for visitors and a lifeline for those who get lost in the wilderness. This National Geographic article explains what it is like to be a cartographer of the US National Park Service.
