Golan Mountains

Coordinates: 34°23’45.84" N  35°36’16.38" E

Elevated terrain. Not uniformly flat.

Coordinates: 32°59’12.92" N  35°44’29.45" E

Image not very sharp but either depicts a current infrastructural network or past ruins.

 

Looking at Lake Puray in Peru via Google Earth

Google Earth is a fantastic tool enabling anyone with an internet connection to get an unprecedented view of our planet. While it may not be possible to visit every single country on Earth during a single lifetime, it is possible to visualize an environment that was photographed fairly recently.

Coordinates: 13°25’48.98" S  71°59’58.30" W

Relatively short distance from city of Cuzco measured with ruler tool at being around 8-miles SE of the lake. 

Interesting land intrusion, similar in appearance to a pier.

 

Why Explore Mexico? PART I

Image via Wikipedia

Well for one it’s free, that is if you use Google Earth or similar programs like NASA World Wind, but also because Cinco de Mayo is approaching.  With that said if you do plan on exploring Mexico virtually be warned. For one, the CIA World Factbook lists the total area of Mexico at 1,964,375 sq km, that’s just under 2 million square kilometers. Additionally, while virtual exploration may not carry the same risks and costs associated with physical exploration, it does consume a lot of time so it is best to narrow in on a specific region.

Located just below the United States of America and slightly above Belize and Guatemala, Mexico, or the United Mexican States, “is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world and the second most-populous country in Latin America after Portuguese-speaking Brazil. (Source: US Department of State)” Aside from its people, food, and history as exemplified by Cinco de Mayo and this article by Suzanne Barbezat, the United Mexican States offers a lot to study geographically.

^Above. (18°36’48.05″ N  91°31’43.90″ W – Laguna de Términos)

According to Google Earth, Laguna de Términos is the ”largest estuary-lagoon in México.” Yet despite the picturesque nature of the lagoon viewed above it is difficult to see the 448 species that call this home, making it “the most species-rich of Mexico’s four large lagoons. (Source: Oceana)”

^Above. (18°13’01.21″ N  92°17’06.47″ W)

To the south-west of Laguna de Términos a pattern of diamond-shaped grid lines emerge. Usually I would assume straight lines are the product of human activity, perhaps farming, as to quote the US Department of Transportation, “Long straight lines rarely occur in nature.” Yet, the scale is still impressive and while other explanations may exist this is just another interesting highlight the appears in the geography of Mexico.

^Above. (17°36’46.66″ N  92°48’57.17″ W)

Example of a piece of land that could have been farmland based on the rectangular “strips” similar to those in European states under a feudal system and later in New France under a “seigneurial system ”. Just another reminder of how humans can shape the geography of a land.

^Above Left. (28°33’37.61″ N 106°45’06.08″ W – Laguna de Bustillos)

^Right. Apparent island within Laguna de Bustillos.

^Above. (26°17’44.84″ N 109°11’24.26″ W)

To the western part of Mexico several circular formations viewable from the sky. These appear several places throughout Mexico albeit in this photo they are quite grouped.

Mary Islands, although detached from Mexico, still affiliated. Note that despite their geographical beauty, they might not be open to the public and there is the potential that they are still being used as a penal colony.

^Above left. (20°03’14.19″ N  87°34’05.85″ W) Right (20°10’00.80″ N  87°33’08.73″ W) Slightly north of the left image.

Switching coasts to the East there are several large bodies of water. Using the ruler tool, the diameter of the water body in the right image is just under 600 meters or in terms of feet, over 2000ft. The elongated water body in the image to the left above registered at being over 7000 meters long or well over 24’000 feet. Of course, the ruler tool may not be the most reliable measurement device and hence these figures are rounded conservatively. As always, feel free to enter the coordinates and measure them yourself. Later, this section will resume with more finds available to be discovered with the click of a mouse and some patience.

 

Juan de Nova Island: Through Google Earth

View Location: 17°03’19.93" S  42°43’34.84" E

Relative Location: West of Madagascar

Numerous trees present, but here (within the red border) is a relatively isolated forested region.

Airport linked to a series of roads.

View Location: 17°02’55.62" S  42°42’36.69" E

Cannot quite make out what is within the red outline, but the road appears to make a loop around a statue-like object.

On the opposite end of the airport more buildings are present in a clearing.

Though remarkably isolated in location, Juan de Nova Island remains nearly uninhabited save for a few buildings linked to the main airport. The network of roads throughout the island makes potential travel somewhat accessible from end to end, yet with little to no mention of Juan de Nova Island in the mainstream media it remains at the start of the twenty-first century somewhat forgotten.

 

Easter Island: Through Google Earth

With the prevalence of satellite mapping software from a broad array of sources ranging from Google to NASA, I wanted to do something not many people ever got the chance to do – explore a relatively rural and isolated region to its fullest without physically stepping foot inside its borders.

First up: Easter Island, Chile

View Location: 27°07’08.07" S 109°21’36.25" W

View Location: 27°12’03.01" S 109°27’10.36" W (South West of Easter Island on the first map above)

Almost looks like a human in form, but look again. This form is known as Moto Nui and according to Wikipedia (See embedded link for full article), it “is the summit of a large volcanic mountain which rises over 2,000 meters from the sea bed.”

One aspect of Easter Island that you simply cannot ignore is the size of its cliffs. They are intimidating by height alone and if the ruler tool was used correctly, the western section portrayed in the snapshot above is over 900 feet in height with the eastern section of approximate equal height in the shadowed area with the rest of the eastern section in that picture between 500-900 feet in height.

 

View Location: 27°06’29.56" S 109°13’52.92" W

Examining the north-eastern coast it becomes harder to definitively mark the height of a drop but in this picture the height consistently appears to be between 250-400 feet although different factors ranging from photographic angle to human error does not automatically qualify this range as correct.

Without a doubt, the majority of houses have been built on the western portion within the white border outlined in the picture above. While reasons may vary as to the motive these inhabitants had in moving to this specific region of Easter Island, it is close to the airport (pictured below) and the area supposedly has been marked as a surfing location with Mataveri and Papa Hanga Roa by wannasurf.com.

If surf spots and examining the height of cliffs isn’t your idea of interesting, perhaps the extinct volcano of Rano Kau will be your cup of tea. With reports of a “steam crack” photographed within the last few centuries, it could very well be capable of heating that cup of Earl Gray.

View Location: 27°07’20.57" S 109°17’17.19" W

No virtual visit to Easter Island would be complete without a sight of the famous Easter Island statues but just before we explore those man-made ruins a volcanic crater known as Rano Raraku provides an interesting sight to behold. The colouration, elevation, and sheer location is amazing because it is located in a region of the world people seldom visit in contrast to urban cities like London, New York, or Paris.

South-Eastern Coast where several statues are in a line formation

Western inhabited region

Easter Island remains an ancient land. Yet, with markers popping up informing me of several hotels in the lush foliage (likely built after the photographs were captured around 2007) there is an atmosphere of slow but sure urbanization. Surfers may gather for the waves on the western coast but their presence in conjunction with the present of other tourists and scientists has likely promoted local business. Ancient tribal customs may be a thing of the past, but in the future the culture of sweeping change may just envelope this once isolated island.