The production of computers, pencils, and papers

requires the use of natural resources.

Information from satellites are used to make

computer maps that use colors to represent

different structures of Earth’s surface.

Importance of Natural Resources

Do you know that natural resources allow you to do the things you need to do? How, you ask? Think about what you are doing right now. You are reading an article about natural resources on your computer. You might even be taking down notes in your notebook using a pencil. All these things—your computer, notebook, and pencil—were produced using natural resources. For example, parts of your computer are made of minerals mined from land. This mining process requires water. The pencil and notebook pages you use are made from wood. Trees cannot grow without soil and water.

Identifying Natural Resources

In order to use resources like minerals, they need to be found first. How are they found? Would someone start digging in a particular spot hoping to find the mineral there? That would take a lot of digging and would disturb the Earth’s surface, wouldn’t it? Thanks to technology, it is possible to find and identify these land resources more efficiently.

Satellites are machines that are launched into space. They move around the Earth to get information that can help identify natural resources. How do satellites do this? Satellites scan the Earth’s surface to get information about its color and brightness. This information is used by a computer to make a “computer map”. In the image below, colors are used to determine different kinds of rocks. For example, the yellow-like, orange, and green colors represent limestone, sandstone, and gypsum, respectively. These maps are not for showing a person how to get from one place to another, but for showing what the surface of Earth looks like and what it is made of.

Satellites can also identify different types of vegetation. To make sure there is a constant supply of pencils, notebook paper, and other products from trees, people who manage land resources need to monitor the number of trees that are cut. This

NATURAL RESOURCES

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Differences in the “brightness” and “darkness” of a

color help scientists differentiate types of

vegetation.

is important for ensuring that forests do not disappear. But if land managers are studying a big area of land using a satellite image, how would they know what types of trees are in that area based on the satellite image? In the image below, the red color represents vegetation. The brightness and darkness of the red color helps scientists identify the trees and plants because each type of plant has its own “brightness” or “darkness,” much like how each person has a unique fingerprint.

Aside from identifying natural resources like rocks, minerals, and vegetation, satellite images can also identify places where there is oil or coal. These two land resources provide electricity to manufacture the things you use including your computer, notebook, and pencil.

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