Description

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Illustrating the pillars of the seven continents and the diversity of the planet's ecosystems, this book is a collection of satellite images of peaks and mountain ranges—including the Matterhorn, the Andean and Himalayan ranges, and the Hawaiian islands—each of which is a part of a scientific investigation. The satellite images are supplemented by old photographs taken by astronauts from space, and each image is described in detail. Nine texts of a scientific nature explain the geographic, geological, climactic, ecological, and historical importance of these mountains, and firsthand accounts from world-class mountain climbers provide a human perspective of these fascinating and imposing geological wonders. Ilustrando los pilares de los siete continentes y la variedad de ecosistemas del planeta, este libro es una colección de imágenes de satélite de picos y cordilleras—incluyendo el Monte Cervino, las cordilleras andinas y del Himalaya y las islas hawaianas—que forman parte de proyectos de investigación científica. Las imágenes por satélite se completan con fotografías antiguas captadas por los astronautas desde el espacio, y cada imagen se describe detalladamente. Nueve textos de carácter científico explican la importancia geográfica, geológica, climática, ecológica, cultural e histórica de las montañas, y relatos de primera mano de famosos alpinistas proveen una perspectiva humana de estas maravillas geológicas fascinantes e imponentes.

About the Author

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Stefan Dech is a professor of remote sensing and the director of the German Remote Sensing Data Center of the German Aerospace Center. Reinhold Messner is a renowned mountain climber known for having made the first solo ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygen and for being the first climber to ascend all 14 of the world's peaks more than 8,000 meters above sea level. Rüdiger Glaser is a professor and the director of the department of physical geography at the University of Freiburg. Ralf-Peter Märtin is a journalist and a writer.