You probably saw a multi-colored climate map at least once in school. You might have pored over it, fascinated. Was Antarctica really a cold desert? And why was so much of Russia listed as tundra?

Called SoCalEarth.org, the online mapping tool was developed by Pitzer College’s Robert Redford Conservancy in partnership with Redlands-based GIS leader Esri. Susan Phillips, a Pitzer College ...