What Does the Radar Image of Rwanda Tell Us About the Gorillas Habitat?
This image of Rwanda is a good example of a practical application of radar to understand an environmental issue. The area shown in the image is often obscured by clouds making it difficult to get pictures using optical instruments such as cameras. However, because radar can see through clouds it can provide information to help us understand the areas land use, vegetation types and volcanic activity. The mountain gorilla habitat can be seen clearly. Areas where civilization is encroaching on the gorilla habitat are visible, as are lava flows that have come close to populated areas. The color variations in the Rwanda image show how radar responds to the surface being imaged. In general, rough spots appear bright, smooth spots appear dark. The black at the top of the image is a lake, the dark grey areas are lava flows. The medium gray areas are vegetation, the purple area shows the gorillas bamboo forest and the rough areas are mountainous terrain. Researchers from the Dian Fossey Gorilla
