Stunning Maps of World Topography

Robin Edwards, a researcher at UCL CASA, has created these stunning topographic maps using the high resolution elevation data provided by the British Oceanographic Data Centre. The transitions from black (high areas) to blue (low areas) give the maps a slightly ethereal appearance to dramatic effect.

All but the highest areas of Europe appear to blend into the sea, and there is a loss in the sense of scale that makes the Pacific ranges look like small water channels in a shallow sea.

The best thing about these graphics (and the main reason I have featured them here) is that they were completely produced using the R software program with just a 3 lines of code! Click here to see how Robin did it.