Scientists want to create 3D maps of the entire world before Earth is destroyed by climate change

The Earth is changing faster than anyone can imagine. Fires, melting glaciers and more evidence are taking place day by day, indicating that ancient cultures are disappearing.

Changing to a certain extent is obvious, but changing faster and more intense as a result of human activities that make climate change is a serious problem.

Recently, two researchers proposed a way to save information about our planet. It is using lasers to create high-resolution 3D maps of the entire world today. This is a non-profit project called 'Storing the Earth' , initiated by archaeologist Chris Fisher and geologist Steve Leisz. The two researchers are currently working at Colorado State University, USA.

In 2018, archaeologists used a laser to survey a part of Guatemala forest and discovered an ancient city was buried.Currently, researchers of the 'Earth Storage' project also want to apply this method to map the entire land mass of the Earth.

In an interview, Fisher archaeologist said that the climate crisis threatened to destroy our cultural and ecological heritage within a few decades. So how do we save information about everything today before it's too late? The answer is to use the method of investigation and classification by light, also known as the Lidar method. This is a remote survey method using an aircraft carrying laser scanning ground equipment. By this method, researchers can create high-resolution 3D maps of a large area with objects and information not only on the ground but also deep below the ground.

Over the past decade, this technology has particularly contributed to archeological surveys and helped researchers discover many cities that have been buried in the jungles of Africa and the South. USA, many streets of ancient Rome and many vestiges of ancient cities in Cambodia. In 2007, Mr. Fisher was part of the research team that used Lidar to track down a lost city in the Honduran forest. This method allowed them to gather detailed information about the city within 10 minutes, which was more than what the team had found in 10 years merely by field searching.

Thanks to this valuable experience, Mr. Fisher believes that scientists need to 'scan, scan, scan' to record information about the world's most vulnerable places before they disappear. The mission of the 'Earth Storage' project will focus on surveying the entire earth's land surface, equivalent to 29% of the global area, starting with the highest risk areas such as the Amazon rainforest and Coastal areas are in danger of being wiped out due to sea level rise. Fisher says the mission may last for decades, but the result will be "the ultimate gift for future generations".

For this project to work, of course, a large financial source is required. The project needs about US $ 10 million for the sweep of most of the Amazon region over the next 3 years. With such high costs, some researchers are concerned about whether the project will work to the end. Professor Mat Disney of the Department of Geography, University of London, said that such a large project would certainly take the funding of other projects. Even with enough funding, getting a license to fly through prohibited airspace is a pretty big hurdle. He said 'Who will license these aircraft to fly through Brazil, surely the Brazilian government will disagree' because the current Brazilian President, Mr. Jair Bolsonaro is still fighting science and opening some restricted areas. of the Amazon forest for commercial gain.