[JoeProBono]

Among other features, the new LiDAR images captured Caracol's tallest buildings, a set of palaces and temples called Caana.

To reproduce the landscape in 3-D, a twin-engine plane flew over the city and fired laser beams through the dense tree canopy. The beams bounced off the ground, buildings, and other structures below. (See an interactive map of the Maya civilization.)

The laser's path from plane to ground and back again was then measured and triangulated with the aid of GPS equipment to create the data for the 3-D maps.

[JoeProBono]

Maya ping

[the invisib1e hand]

2012, space cadets. Set your alarms!

[DeFault User]

My pyramid climbing days are over, but this does look interesting.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Airborne lasers have "stripped" away thick rain forests to reveal new images of an ancient Maya metropolis that's far bigger than anyone had thought.

I'm glad somebody is finally doing something about our Maya problem.

[Repeat Offender]

Wow! I thougt LiDAR was only used for revenue enhancing speeding tickets. I guess it does have a purpose after all.

[Tijeras_Slim]

One day this will be used on Detroit.

[Hot Tabasco]

I visited the Mayan ruins in Copan, Honduras back around 2003. I've never been interested in that stuff but I came out of there thoroughly amazed! One thing I learned was that each succeeding Mayan ruler totally buried the city and built anew on top of it.

At the very back of the ruins, which were in the process of being uncovered and reconstructed, there was a "wall" where you could see the different levels of "cities" on that site. Kinda like looking at the rings of a tree...........