We first brought you the psychedelic , yet ecologically accurate , workplace of geographer and mapmaker Robert Szucstwo years ago . You may come back his coloured , high - closure maps that showcase the feed river basins in the US , South America , Europe , and Africa each highlighted by a different color . This time around , Szucs has plump into neat detail to characterize river by each province , land , and part to describe even large geographic feature article such as EL and forest screen . Naturally , IFLScience interviewed theHungarian cartographerto better infer his work and the motive that exalt it .
As we antecedently report , the maps were create by using the undefended - source QGIS software along with data point from the European Environment Agency , the Rivers connection System , and a whole lot of employment . Each pipeline shows the water system as it drain from its watershed source to reach the sea , with its thickness render the order of flow as determine by theStrahler Stream Order Classification .
Though Szucs would n’t severalize usexactlyhow he goes about process these map ( “ that ’s a mystery ” ) , he say us that his fine art is inspired by his professional work , from archaeologist in the Caribbean to nautical biologists in Portugal and Alaska to an orangutan reclamation center in Borneo .
IFLScience : How did you total about making these maps ?
Szucs : These were basically hobby project I worked on a couple of years ago when I had some complimentary time . I ’ve shared them online , people really liked them , then it all intensify really quickly . I mean , like " who are all of you people and why do you care my maps so much " apace , within two weeks .
I : What do you trust these maps will accomplish ?
S : I wanted to do justice to the smasher of nature . I ’ve find out so many uninspiring map over the years , particularly in textbooks , I wanted to show that maps can be both beautiful and informative . I also endeavor to support NGOs who reach out to me to utilize my maps for important conservation work .
I : What was your favorite function to make and why ?
due south : The river washstand single-valued function of the conterminous 48 . While I was make it , I felt up that it would be something special and the map meet so much beloved that it made me believe that make believe a sustenance from my mania as an independent artist might be possible after all .
I : Other than graphics , how do you hope these maps will be used ?
S : I would love them to be used in text all around the humankind , helping the next coevals dip in love with nature .
