Why circular fields

A project using NASA satellite data helps reduce overwatering and enhances crop yields for Pakistani farmers. For more than years, groups in the western United States have fought over water. During the s, sheep ranchers and cattle ranchers argued over drinking water for their livestock on the high plains. In , the city of Los Angeles began to draw water away from small agricultural communities in Owen Valley, leaving a dusty dry lake bed.

In the late s, construction of the Glen Canyon Dam catalyzed the American environmental movement. Today, farmers are fighting fishermen, environmentalists, and Native American tribes over the water in the Upper Klamath River Basin. Image of the Day Land Life. An arid region grew even drier between and due to human consumption of water for drinking and agriculture. Image of the Day Water Remote Sensing. EO Explorer. Crop Circles in Kansas. At the time of publication, it represented the best available science.

Image of the Day for August 19, View more Images of the Day:. On the ground, however, they're a vital part of our food chain and, more recently, a part of a growing environmental controversy. The devices used to water these crops, center pivot irrigation systems , are part of a vast irrigation network that is pumping water out of the Ogallala Aquifer faster than it can be replenished by rain, sending portions of the heartland on a crash course to run out of water.

Artist Kendall McMinimy grew up around these irrigation systems. His family raised cattle and grew wheat in Kansas, and he recognizes the value of water to a farm.

His series Cropping to Circles draws attention to the depletion of this natural resource. Scanning through thousands of satellite images on Google, McMinimy selects patterns he finds most striking. Then he coats a block of wood with a matte medium, places a laser print of the crop image onto the wood and lets it dry for 24 hours.

This image is not available for purchase in your country. Please contact your Account Manager if you have any query. Caption Circular fields. Keywords aerial photography agricultural agriculture american bird's eye view centre pivot irrigation circles circular countryside crop dimmitt farming farmland field horizon irrigated irrigation land land use many mechanised mechanized multiple north america north american patchwork plant texas united states us usa.

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