When Earth is viewed from space, cloud formations, coastlines, mountain ranges, islands, deltas, glaciers and rivers take on patterns resembling abstract art—with striking textures and brilliant colors.
These images can be seen in a new exhibit at the Library of Congress, which opened on May 31. In cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, “Earth as Art” is on display in the exhibition hall outside the Library’s Geography and Map Reading Room, on the basement level of the James Madison Building.
Left: - Abby Brack
Right: Van Gogh from Space,
July 13, 2005. In the style of Van Gogh’s painting “Starry Night,” massive congregations of greenish phytoplankton swirl in the dark water around Gotland, a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea. Phytoplankton are microscopic marine plants that form the first link in nearly all ocean food chains. Population explosions, or blooms, of phytoplankton, like the one shown here, occur when deep currents bring nutrients up to sunlit surface waters, fueling the growth and reproduction of these tiny plants. Ribbon lakes and bogs are present throughout the area, created by depressions left by receding glaciers. - Courtesy U.S. Geological Survey and NASA
The exhibit, which is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, will remain on display at the Library until May 31, 2012.
The 40 award-winning Landsat satellite images—selected for display based on their aesthetic appeal rather than their scientific value—will become a part of the permanent collection of the Library’s Geography and Map Division (G&M).
John Hébert, chief of G&M, said “The Geography and Map Division is pleased, once again, to receive the exhibition for its permanent collection and to place it on display for an extended period of time. Our patrons and staff enjoyed previous renderings of “Earth as Art,” and in my preliminary review, these new “Earth as Art” images will delight all. It is amazing to see how places on Earth from space do appear as art, and yet, at the same time, reflect the ever-presence of humankind in reshaping Earth’s appearance.”
Left: Siberian Ribbons – June 15, 2005.
Vivid colors and bizarre shapes come together in an image that could be an imaginative illustration for a fantasy story. This labyrinth of exotic features is present along the edge of Russia’s Chaunskaya Bay (vivid blue half circle) in northeastern Siberia. Two major rivers, the Chaun and Palyavaam, flow into the bay, which in turn opens into the Arctic Ocean. Ribbon lakes and bogs are present throughout the area, created by depressions left by receding glaciers.
Right: Spilled Paint – Feb. 10, 2003.
Like poster paints run wild, this image reveals an eclectic montage of landscapes in Iran’s largest desert, the Dasht-e Kavir, or Great Salt Desert. The word kavir is Persian for salt marsh. The almost uninhabited region covers an area of more than 77,000 square kilometers (29,730 square miles) and is a mix of dry streambeds, desert plateaus, mudflats, and salt marshes. Extreme heat, dramatic daily temperature swings, and violent storms are the norm in this inhospitable place.
- Photos courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey and NASA
The Geography and Map Division hosted an earlier “Earth as Art” exhibit, which was on display from July 23, 2002, through July 3, 2005. Those images also became a part of the Library’s permanent collection. The current and previous “Earth as Art” exhibitions can be viewed online at www.loc.gov/exhibits/.
Landsat satellites for nearly 40 years have captured images of the Earth’s surface, providing data for applications in business, science, education, government and national security. The satellites monitor important natural processes and human land use such as vegetation growth, deforestation, agriculture, coastal and river erosion, snow accumulation, fresh-water reservoir replenishment and urbanization.
The Library’s Geography and Map Division has the largest and most comprehensive collection of maps and atlases in the world, some 5.2 million cartographic items that date from the 14th century to the present. The Library’s map collections contain coverage for every country and subject, and include the works of the most famous mapmakers throughout history—Ptolemy, Waldseemüller, Mercator, Ortelius and Blaeu.
For more information, visit www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/.
Left: Anyuyskiy Volcano,
July 28, 2001. The prominent crimson streak in the center of this image represents the remains of an extensive lava and mud flow. Its source is the currently dormant Anyuyskiy Volcano (orange circular shape at the right end of the streak) in northeastern Russia. Remote and largely inaccessible, the region is a rugged collection of towering volcanic peaks, steep valleys, and wild, snow-fed rivers and streams.
Right: Byrd Glacier,
Jan. 11, 2000.
Truly a river of ice, Antarctica’s relatively fast-moving Byrd Glacier courses through the Transantarctic Mountains at a rate of 0.8 kilometers (0.5 miles) per year. More than 180 kilometers (112 miles) long, the glacier flows down from the polar plateau (left) to the Ross Ice Shelf (right). Long, sweeping flow lines are crossed in places by much shorter lines, which are deep cracks in the ice called crevasses. The conspicuous red patches indicate areas of exposed rock.
- Photos courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey and NASA
Earth as Art: A Landsat Perspective
May 31, 2011 – May 31, 2012
Free and Open to the Public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday
Exhibition Hall, Outside the Library’s Geography and Map Reading Room, Basement Level of the James Madison Building
This exhibition showcases 40 award-winning Landsat 7 images created by the U.S. Geological Survey. Since 1972, Landsat satellites have collected from space information about Earth’s continents and coastal areas, enabling scientists to study many aspects of the planet and to evaluate changes caused by both natural processes and human practices. The images on display are actual digital photographs of the Earth, depicting the intricate beauty in Earth’s natural patterns.
