Hi Diane,
Great example! I wonder if there is information available on why certain colours show up. I'm sure the atmosphere can play tricks on you, but I also believe the satellite images are inhanced in some way to show off certain features. Is there a thread about this somewhere?
Of course an artist can use any colour he or she wants. But art can also make a social/ political statement and the choice of colour can be a very significant part of that statement. I found out my Angry Tundra painting is derived from an area that may not actually be defrosting (yet) although there is a large area reasonably nearby where large scale defrosting has been shown (info thanks to the environmental forum on GE community). I have the same uncertainty about depicting melting icecaps or deforestation. Knowing the meaning of colours in GE could help me understand what's going on.