Cartographers: man is altering the map
Thanks to Magellan and Google Earth, there aren't as many unexplored regions on the earth's surface as there used to be. That being the case, you might think that cartographers would get sick of drawing the same old maps all the time. Not true, due to man's constant tinkering with land and water, geographic features that were at one time considered static are being to change dramatically. Some of the biggest changes fall under the category of diverting water for agriculture -- i.e. consuming a seemingly unsustainable amount. Rising seas are also beginning to show an effect on areas of Alaska and low-lying islands in the Indian Ocean. Here are the top 4 drastic changes:
- Lake Chad in N. Africa is 95% smaller than in 1963
- The Aral Sea has shrunk by 75% since 1967
- The Dead Sea is 50 feet lower than in 1957
- The Rio Grande & the Colorado Rivers sometimes dry out and don't reach the ocean
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