Himalayan Atlas of Aerial Panoramas Vol I

Himalaya Atlas of Aerial Panoramas - Vol I
Tibet - Uttar Pradesh - Nepal - Sikkim - Bhutan - Arunachal Pradesh


Welcome to the Himalaya Atlas of Aerial Panoramas, one of a series of collections of photorealistic aerial views created by Dr. William A. Bowen, professor emeritus of the Department of Geography at California State University Northridge. The atlas contains over 700 computer generated panoramas that portray every square foot of the vast range between Arunachal Pradesh on the east and Uttar Pradesh on the west, including all of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and portions of Tibet and the lowlands of India. Seeing the Earth from a high place allows us to grasp quickly the essential geography of vast regions that eludes those who are earth bound. Most of these panoramas were created between virtual elevation of 50 to 200 kilometers above sea level with a virtual 35 mm camera equipped with a 22 mm lens. Normally the vistas encompass much more than a thousand square miles (259,000 hectares) of the earth's surface.

Because of our lack of geographic experience and the unusual perspectives offered by this atlas, I recommend that users acquire copies of detailed national and regional maps and atlases. Equipped with such references, Himalaya Atlas users will be able to orient themselves better and identify all manner of detail. An outstanding introduction to the geography and people of these mountains is the Illustrated Atlas of the Himalaya, authored by David Zurick and Julsun Pacheco and published by The University Press of Kentucky in 2006.

The panoramas in this collection are named for urban places or principal natural features occurring within the field of view. The author has tried his best to locate and name each image as accurately as possible. Compass direction abbreviations are normally appended to each name in order that atlas users will at least have some general sense of the direction in which they are looking. Constructive comments and suggestions are always welcomed and should be emailed to Dr. Bowen.

One of the unfortunate realities of Web publications is that every user's computer screen will render the panoramas differently. Serious users may need to download the images and modify image color balance using their own software. The pictures are best viewed on a large monitor, because the panoramas measure 2100 x 900 pixels.

It is hoped that these unique aerial views will provide a new and valuable resource for those who seek to understand better the character of the Earth's mightiest mountain range and the people who occupy this high country. Many other atlases and aerial flights may be found in the Survey's Electronic Map Library.

The California Geographical Survey is a creation of Dr. William A. Bowen, and it is hosted by the Department of Geography and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at California State University, Northridge. The Survey operates for the benefit of the students and faculty of the California State University System, public and parochial school teachers and students, and the people of the State of California. It is the California Geographical Survey's intention to provide a variety of important geographic resources to the entire Internet community.

The materials of the California Geographical Survey are available without restrictions to the California State University Northridge campus community for non-profit, classroom use. All other persons should be aware that all original materials contained within this geographic archive are copyrighted and the sole property of Dr. William A. Bowen. Use of such copyrighted items without the permission of the owner is strictly forbidden. Individual students and teachers everywhere are specifically granted the right to use all materials for class assignments and lectures. In some cases, the author may extend additional legal rights to specific off-campus individuals and groups whose works he deems to be in the general public interest. Dr. Bowen's efforts are not funded by any government agency or private sponsor. His work is not in the public domain. Every item is copyrighted and is distributed with the clear understanding that its use for commercial and non-commercial purposes outside of public school and university classrooms is forbidden without his expressed approval. Please contact Dr. Bowen for additional information concerning copyright issues and the development of commercial projects.


California Geographical Survey People

Bill Bowen and his wife Marilyn live in Northridge, California, near the university he served for thirty-four years. Bill was educated as a geographer at U.C. Berkeley. He was privileged to have taken courses from Professors Clarence Glacken, John Kesseli, Ted Oberlander, James Parsons, Carl Sauer, Hilgard Sternberg, James Vance, Gunther Barth, Peter Birkeland, J. B. Jackson, and George Stewart. He joined the faculty at California State University, Northridge in 1970 and taught there until his retirement in 2004. Several years before his retirement, he decided to create the California Geographical Survey as a tool for better communicating his ideas and maps to students and other explorers who frequent the Web. He continues his work today at home, in a closet that contains two high-speed Macintosh computers.
Bill and Marilyn with Mozart in Vienna.

Although educated as a cultural geographer and physical geographer in the Sauerian tradition, he has always been fascinated with maps. This evolving collection of photorealistic, panoramic maps of the earth's landscapes can be traced to an undergraduate map reading course taught by Professor John E. Kesseli in 1962 and a cartography course taught by Professor Ted Oberlander in the Spring of 1963. He is forever in the debt of these fine scholars and the many other teachers who touched his life.


Robert Provin has provided essential technical support to the California Geographical Survey since its beginnings. He is a true scholar and valued colleague whose patient good thoughts and intelligence have kept the web service alive during challenging times. Until his retirement in June 2005, Robert was the senior scientific technician of the Department of Geography. He remains a highly regarded instructor, and an internationally renown expert in astronomical photography.

He has made many contributions to that science and coauthored the influential Manual of Advanced Celestial Photography. This book has been called "the most comprehensive book on astrophotography ever published." He and his coauthor Brad Willis are currently completing another volume entitled From Silver to Silicon . His photography may be seen on the Web at http://voltaire.csun.edu/Default.html. Robert is a graduate of California State University Northridge, where he earned both his Baccalaureate and Masters degrees.
Robert preparing for very remote sensing.

David Deis began providing technical support for the Survey's computer server in 2005. He is the chief cartographer for the Department of Geography, and in that capacity is an expert in digital mapping, image processing, and graphic design. He teaches courses in cartography and geographic information systems. David is a graduate of California State University Northridge, where he earned both his Baccalaureate and Masters degrees. He lives with his wife Tina in the San Fernando Valley.