Could a 3D digital twin of Earth save our disappearing heritage?
In short: We preserve films, newspapers, and seeds, yet we lack a complete record of our planet's surface. Archaeologist Chris Fisher proposes using LiDAR—lasers fired from aircraft—to create a 3D digital archive. This ambitious mission aims to document our global cultural and ecological heritage before climate change alters the Earth forever.
LiDAR technology works by firing lasers from an airplane to map the ground, creating highly detailed 3D representations of the terrain. While traditionally used to uncover lost civilizations hidden beneath dense vegetation, its potential extends far beyond archaeology. For instance, in 2007, a team led by Chris Fisher used these methods to document the ancient city of Angamuco, located in the Honduran jungle. Fisher's academic background includes studying the Purépecha Empire in Mexico, specifically the period between CE 1350 and 1520. His research focuses on how environmental and social factors shaped this Tarascan civilization.
The scope of this technology is now being expanded through the Earth Archive. This project, established by Fisher, seeks to create a scientific record of our planet's surface through 3D mapping techniques. The goal is to create a permanent record of our cultural and ecological heritage. Beyond mere discovery, Fisher suggests that these scans could serve as vital tools for tracking and studying the ongoing effects of climate change. As a National Geographic Explorer and professor at Colorado State University, Fisher utilizes diverse methods like geoarchaeology and excavation. This multidisciplinary approach helps connect human societies to their environments.
The mission is driven by a sense of urgency: capturing the state of the planet before it is irrevocably altered. By integrating remote sensing with earth science methodologies, the project seeks to bridge the gap between human social history and environmental evolution. This approach moves beyond finding single sites to creating a global, digital archive of a world in flux. The initiative is known as the Earth Archive, where Fisher serves as co-director. It aims to use 3D technologies to document the Earth's surface scientifically.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Let's scan the whole planet with LiDAR | Chris Fisher
- Also: What would we learn and what could we save, if we had a 3D-scan of the entire earth?
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