Poster-Sized Satellite Map of New Mexico

by George Zamora

SOCORRO, N.M., June 28, 2001 -- The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (NMBGMR) recently published a poster-size map of New Mexico which offers a satellite view of the entire state on a single, albeit large, sheet of paper.

"Satellite Image of New Mexico" provides a spectacular view of New Mexico, a composite created from a mosaic of images obtained from Landsat satellites orbiting the Earth. The 47- inch-by-54-inch satellite map, printed on a scale of 1:500,000, incorporates varying shades of green, blue, and red for a natural-looking likeness of the state.

Residents of New Mexico will easily recognize many of the state's unique landforms, such as the White Sands National Monument, the verdant valleys of the Rio Grande and San Juan and Pecos rivers, Valle Grande, Elephant Butte Reservoir, and El Malpais lava flows near Grants and Carrizozo. For those not familiar with New Mexico's geologic landmarks, these and many more distinctive features are clearly labeled on the map.

"Satellite Image of New Mexico," or Resource Map 23 as the poster is designated, is available for $20, plus $10 for shipping and handling (rolled and shipped in a thick cardboard tube), from the NMBGMR, a service division of New Mexico Tech. For more information about this map or other NMBGMR publications, write to the Bureau Publications Office, New Mexico Tech, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801, or call (505) 835-5410, or visit the website at http://geoinfo.nmt.edu.