The pattern of human population is Iceland is clearly exposed in a nighttime satellite image from a new global composite map by NASA Earth Observatory. The dark rugged highlands in the interior of the island contrast with the relatively well lit coastal areas where nearly all of the major population centers are concentrated.
The image was captured by the Suomi NPP satellite in 2016. It comes from a new global composite map that provides the clearest-yet views of the patterns of human settlements across Earth, according to the Earth Observatory's website.
Best lit is the southwest corner of Iceland where more than half of the population is gathered in the greater Reykjavík area and other larger towns. An assortment of smaller fishing villages dot the coast in other regions. The brightest spot on the north coast is Akureyri, sitting at the bottom of Eyjafjörður fjord.
The pattern of human population is Iceland is clearly exposed in a nighttime satellite image from a new global composite map by NASA Earth Observatory. The dark rugged highlands in the interior of the island contrast with the relatively well lit coastal areas where nearly all of the major population centers are concentrated.
The image was captured by the Suomi NPP satellite in 2016. It comes from a new global composite map that provides the clearest-yet views of the patterns of human settlements across Earth, according to the Earth Observatory's website.
Best lit is the southwest corner of Iceland where more than half of the population is gathered in the greater Reykjavík area and other larger towns. An assortment of smaller fishing villages dot the coast in other regions. The brightest spot on the north coast is Akureyri, sitting at the bottom of Eyjafjörður fjord.
