In Chile, the deserts are marching south into agricultural areas. In Antarctica, living marine resources are being seriously depleted. Both of these threats to sustainable development are being investigated by the University of Chile with the help of a three-year IBM grant. These three visualizations of the southern border of the Atacarna Desert in Chile are part of the research being conducted by the University of Chile. Densely vegetated areas such as the Amazon basin of South America and the coastal zone of the study area are shown in green.
Brown hues portray sparsely vegetated land s and deserts.
Transition zones are in yellow. Annual grasses are completely dry and irrigated valleys appear as narrow green bands descending westward from the Andes Mountains. Annual grasses grow rapidly, forming a green floor cover with abundant life and colored flowers. Desertified areas have lost their capacity to respond to favorable climatic conditions created during this period and remain as yellow-brown areas. These and similar graphics help researchers assess the possible responses of crops to various climatic conditions such stimulations can be used to guide farming and irrigation practices in this threatened eco system.