Photography on EARTH Magazine

Turning modern "eyes" on ancient sites

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 13:19:52 -0400

Researchers used different datasets to uncover Jerash's past, because each dataset showed something different. 1) High-resolution photography revealed a stone wall not visible in other datasets. 2) Lidar clearly revealed another wall that was poorly defined in aerial photography. 3) Clearing up distortions in this 1953 photo revealed a possible structure defined by highlight and shadow that was obscured by a modern road in 2015 and by vegetation in 1939. 4) This wall from the 1939 aerial photo was not visible in other datasets. Credit: Danish-German North-West Quarter Project.

People have inhabited Jerash, Jordan, since the Neolithic. But much of its history has been buried by subsequent occupation, including over the last two centuries. Archaeologists have excavated Jerash with trowels and screens to uncover its long history, but now, with the help of lidar and old photographs, a team of researchers is discovering more about Jerash’s past by gazing down on the city from the sky.

Gettysburg rocks tell battlefield tales

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 13:18:04 -0500

Since the late 19th century, Civil War battlefield landscapes have changed. Some have been plowed under and developed, while elsewhere, woods have been cut down or become overgrown. But the rocks that dotted those battlefields from Gettysburg to Mississippi largely still stand. Historians are now using the steadfast boulders and ridges seen in the backgrounds of 154-year-old battlefield photographs to learn more about the skirmishes that took place at certain sites.

Greenland's growing deltas: Combining historical and modern imagery to decode change in a telltale Arctic landscape

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:50:54 -0500

The coast of Greenland has more than 100 pristine deltas formed by rivers draining from the Greenland Ice Sheet into the sea, interspersed amid the coast's irregular geometry of fjords and icy bays. Credit: Anders Anker Bjørk.

Enormous quantities of fine sediment, sand and rock are carried downstream by rivers flowing off the Greenland Ice Sheet. Where these rivers meet the ocean, they deposit the sandy, coarse part of their sediment loads, forming textbook fan-shaped deltas. Credit: Nicolaj Krog Larsen.

Greenland’s rivers are impressive, with fast, powerful flows of turbulent, milky waters descending from glaciers of the Greenland Ice Sheet, which loom only a few kilometers upstream. Enormous quantities of fine sediment known as “glacier flour,” as well as sand and rock are discharged into and carried downstream by these rivers. The grinding action of the sediment-laden torrents is formidable and carves beautiful smooth sculptures in the solid granite bedrock. From the riverbank, the noise is overwhelming as the loud crashing of the turbulent water flow combines with a rumbling undertone from rocks colliding with the river bottom.

Down to Earth With: James Balog

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 11:37:05 -0500

"Chasing Ice," a 2012 documentary about photographer James Balog (above) and his quest to document Arctic ice retreat, won many awards, including one for cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival. Credit: courtesy of James Balog.

Photographer James Balog is known for his groundbreaking environmental photography that examines intersections of humans and nature. His work has appeared in publications ranging from National Geographic and Smithsonian to Audubon and The New Yorker. He has also authored eight books, including the recently released “Ice: Portraits of Vanishing Glaciers,” and he has been honored with dozens of awards, including the Heinz Award and PhotoMedia’s Person of the Year.