These two satellite images created more than three years apart show progress
in the construction of an artificial island on the coast of Dubai in the United
Arab Emirates.
The island, shaped like a palm tree as seen from above, is called the Palm,
Jumeirah and is one of two in project (the other is the Palm, Jebal Ali). They're
being built with rock and sand. Together, the islands will increase Dubai's
shoreline by 75 miles (120 kilometers).
The views were collected by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument aboard
the European Space Agency's Envisat craft. Unlike optical imagery, SAR images
work by mapping surface roughness, based on the strength of radar "backscatter"
reflected back up to space.
The Palms will host 60 luxury hotels, 5,000 residential villas, 5,000 apartments,
marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities,
health spas, cinemas and numerous dive sites.
An artist's impression of one of the islands is shown here.
All this might seem ambitious. But this year Dubai began a land reclamation
project called The World, a series of 200 islands off the coast built in the
shape of the world. The project is due to finish in 2008.
Credit: ESA/Envisat; rendering courtesy The Palm
