New 3-D map will help monitor climate change in Alaska

The digital elevation models show the unique boreal forest vegetation patterns alongside Western Alaska’s Koyukuk river. (NSF/NGA)
In Kotzebue a year ago, President Barack Obama called for a publicly available, high-resolution elevation map of Alaska, a map that will help Alaskans monitor the effects of climate change. Now, it’s here.
There are many satellites that orbit the Earth. Typical satellites — like NASA’s Landsat — capture really large images, more than 100