New images of Antarctica were released today in a collaborative effort between the National Science Foundation, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, and the DCI Environmental Center. The images, which were recently declassified, provide "the first high-resolution, digital terrain-elevation model of the region, yielding accurate elevation data every 20 meters." A spectacularly clear, black-and-white image of the McMurdo Dry Valleys is shown at the 1:300,000 scale, and an inset of the eastern end of Lake Bonney and vicinity is shown at the 1:50,000 scale. The images of the McMurdo Dry Valleys elucidate the "cold desert terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem" and are an important data source in furthering scientific research "to enhance understanding of life in this extreme environment."