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BOB HIRSHON (host):
A new view of the mountains. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Human activity and climate change have been altering the face of the Canadian Rockies for over a century. But how do scientists document such long-term changes? At the University of Victoria, researcher Alexandra Branzan Albu programs computers to recognize different patterns in mountain landscapes.
ALEXANDRA BRANZAN ALBU (University of Victoria):
The texture of an image is very different for forests, meadows, lakes, and rocks, so that is a very intuitive way to try to separate those areas of the image.
HIRSHON:
The computer programs then detect differences between modern photos of the mountains and archival photos taken during the 19th and 20th centuries.
ALBU:
For instance we see that the tree line has gone up because of the climate warming.
HIRSHON:
To see before and after photos for yourself, visit explore.mountainlegacy.ca. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.