Arizona Satellite 3D was developed by Stephen J. Reynolds, Joshua A. Coyan, and Julia K. Johnson, Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University. The QuickTime movies were constructed by draping satellite images over digital topography. The Satellite images are LANDSAT thematic mapper images from NASA (https://zulu.ssc.nasa.gov/mrsid/). The images, stored by NASA in the compressed MrSid format, were decompressed using Lizard Tech's free MrSid GeoViewer and saved as GeoTiff files. Using Peter Guth's free program MicroDEM, the GeoTiff files were overlain with 1-degree lat-lon ticks and exported as bitmap files. Using the corner ticks as a guide, the bitmaps were then cropped and stretched in Adobe Photoshop, and then draped over digital topography in Corel Bryce5. Digital topography files (Digital Elevation Models - DEMs) are from the U.S. Geological Survey and were converted to grayscale images (needed by Bryce) using MicroDEM. Bryce5 generated thirty-six 3D perspectives for each 1° X 1° quadrangle, and these were combined into a QuickTime VR object movie using VR Worx. The shaded relief map is from Ray Sterner of Johns Hopkins University.
This project was supported by the NSF-funded Hidden Earth Curriculum Project, with partial support by the New Ideas Fund of the Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, through the generous contributions of John Snyder.
Arizona Satellite 3D is also available as a CD-ROM for nominal cost through Terra Chroma, Inc. (email: publications at terrachroma-inc.com).
If you use these images, feel free to include a link to the Arizona Satellite 3D home page on your web page. If you develop educational exercises using this site, please send a copy to Steve Reynolds, Department of Geological Sciences, ASU, Tempe, AZ 85287-1404 (email: sreynolds at asu.edu).
Return to Arizona Satellite 3D Home Page
© Copyright 2001, 2002, 2003 by Stephen J. Reynolds, Joshua A. Coyan, and Julia K. Johnson. These images can be freely used for educational purposes as long as the source is cited.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE 0127595). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.