Welcome to the 21st century world of space archaeology in which culturally important ruins can be spotted and decoded via high resolution images captured by earth orbiting satellites.
Infrared satellite imagery archaeology.
We combined landsat s red green and blue bands to make the image.
What looks like red in the picture is actually shortwave infrared.
The two images above show nasa satellite imagery of a part of the valley the image on the left is unprocessed while the image on the right has gone through thermal infrared processing.
The first image shows the area the way a human would see it.
Satellite imagery can note those subtle temperature differences and show us where unexplored chambers might be located.
Satellite archaeology is an emerging field of archaeology that uses high resolution satellites with thermal and infrared capabilities to pinpoint potential sites of interest in the earth around a meter or so in depth.
The two images to the left show the same area in australia with a river and salt pan.
Coldest highest clouds are displayed in shades of yellow red and purple.
After some computer processing a bright pink line.
Use this web map to zoom in on real time weather patterns developing around the world.
Satellite remote sensing for archaeology buy related content.
The network of streets and houses of tanis are completely invisible at ground level and yet using infrared satellite images parcak was able to show the massive extent of the ancient settlement.
Sarah parcak is a space archaeologist.
The infrared light used by these satellites have longer wavelengths than that of visible light and are therefore capable of.
She ordered infrared satellite imagery of the tweedy green and brown fields.
Download imagery via the maps below.
For the second image we added some of the invisible bands.
Warmest lowest clouds are shown in white.
Explore the world in real time launch web map in new window noaa satellite maps latest 3d scene this high resolution imagery is provided by geostationary weather satellites permanently stationed more than 22 000 miles above the earth.
She uses satellite imagery to track looted ancient burial sites and find pyramids hidden under egyptian cities now she has bigger plans.