ISS001-E-5082
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Coastal Asia: This image of coastal Asia was taken with a 400
mm lens with a very narrow field of view. Early in the Space Station
Program, communications with the crew are less direct, and the exact
time that this image was taken could not be determined. Because
there are relatively few photographs of Earth taken with this long
lens, and because the time the photograph was taken is not available
to calculate the exact position of the Station over the Earth, the
exact location of the photograph cannot be determined. Many of these
logistical problems will be resolved as camera equipment is replaced
and communications with the crew improve. Catalogers believe
the coast most resembles Indonesia, and this determination will be
maintained until future images allow correction and refinement of the
location. The photograph is a striking example of the degree to
which humans modify coastal environments. The large green squares in
the image probably represent a combination of rice cultivation and
aquaculture.
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ISS001-E-6765
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Dhaulagiri, Himalayan Ranges of Nepal:Dhaulagiri,
seventh-highest peak in the world (26,794 ft/8167 m), dominates the
skyline in this image taken by the Expedition 1 crew from the
International Space Station using a high-magnification lens. Although
it looks like a view from a high-altitude airplane, the photograph
was taken out of the window of the Space Station from an orbital
altitude of 200 nautical miles (370 km). The view is southeastward
across the southern Tibetan Plateau of China, to the Dhaulagiri Range
of the Himalayas in central Nepal. The upper reaches of the more than
1,500-mile-long Brahmaputra River, which enters the Indian Ocean near
Calcutta, are within the broad, high (about 17,000 ft) valley in the
foreground. Uplift of the Himalayas continues today, at a rate of
several millimeters per year, in response to the continuing collision
of India with Eurasia that began about 70 million years ago. The
region is home to hundreds of species of rare plants and animals,
including the snow leopard and blue or Tibetan sheep. Dhaulagiri is a
significant destination for trekkers and climbers — the clear, dry
days of autumn bring about half the yearly total of visitors.
Expedition support, tourism, and agriculture employ much of the
populace.
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ISS001-E-6283
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Downtown Houston from Space Station Alpha: A series of digital
photographs of Houston illustrates the new detail being obtained for
cities around the world by crewmembers on the International Space
Station. This image, captured on 17 December 2000 centers on the
downtown region and shows extensive detail of streets, parks and
major buildings. The retractable roof of the new Astros baseball
stadium, Enron Field, is open. The spatial resolution of the image is
about 6.7 m/pixel. Photography of cities to monitor urban growth
is one of the objectives of NASA’s
Crew Earth Observations payload from the International Space
Station. Other astronaut photographs of cities around the world can
be viewed at the Cities from Space link from the NASA-JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth
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ISS001-E-6691
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Watery Gem of Northern Italy, the City of Venice: The compact
Italian city of Venice with its renowned canals is situated on a
small, fish-shaped island in the Laguna Veneta at the northwest
corner of the Adriatic Sea. In this photo taken from the
International Space Station by the Expedition 1 Crew on February 21,
2001, one can see part of the causeway connecting the city to the
mainland. The sinuous Canal Grande bisecting the city is easily
visible in this scene as is the larger Canal Guidecca to the west,
which leads to the port facilities on the northwestern end of the
island. For centuries, the low-lying city has successfully coped with
the three-foot tidal range experienced at this end of the Adriatic
Sea, and the series of barrier islands has offered some protection
from storm waves. However, a combination of both regional land
subsidence and recent slight rises in sea level pose a significant
threat this historic city and its priceless art treasures.
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ISS001-E-5317
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Chetumal Bay Coral Reef: Chetumal Bay lies on the Border
between Mexico and Belize. To the east of the bay, Ambergris Cay
connects the Belize Barrier Reef to the Yucatan Peninsula. The north
of the island is Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve. Here, the barrier reef
comes very close to the east side of the island. In 1998, reefs in
Belize were hit by two major events that led to heavy coral
mortality: El Niño-related coral bleaching and Hurricane Mitch.
Astronaut photographs of coral reefs are being used to provide
perspective on coral reef geography, coastal development, and related
land habitats. Numerous photographs taken by astronauts were included
in the recently published World Atlas of Coral Reefs (click to read
the recent press
release). Coral reef images acquired by astronauts can also be
used as mapping data in more detailed remote sensing
applications. Images of coral reef areas are being acquired
by astronauts on Space Station Alpha as part of the Crew
Earth Observations Project. Coral reefs are one of the areas
selected as a scientific theme for this project (see also the recent
Earth Observatory article, Mapping the
Decline of Coral Reefs).
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ISS001-702-110
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Mesopotamian Marshes: The Al Hawizah Marshes comprise the
largest remaining tract of wetlands in the Mesopotamian Marshlands of
Iran and Iraq. In the last 10 years, damming and diversion of waters
from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and draining of wetlands has
led to a loss of 85% of wetlands that once covered about 20,000
square km (7,725 square miles). This ecological disaster has been
studied using Landsat data and summarized in a report by the United
Nation Environment Programme’s Division of Early Warning and
Assessment, entitled The Mesopotamian Marshlands: Demise of an
Ecosystem. [Print Resolution (13.3 MB)].
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ISS001-E-6504
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Shiveluch-Kamchatkan volcanoes: Shiveluch volcano anchors the
northern end of a volcanic chain of more than 100 volcanoes covering
the Kamchatkan Peninsula. It is one of the most active volcanoes
along the Pacific Rim, most recently from February 22 to March
1,2002. Astronauts took both of these very different images of
Shiveluch and other Kamchatkan volcanoes. The first image was taken
nearly 10 years ago, and looks straight down from orbit onto
Shiveluch’s irregular outline. The Kamchatka River wanders between
Shiveluch to the north and Kamchatka’s most active volcano,
Klyuchevskaya (also recently active, on February 27, 2002). Low sun
and snow cover highlight the volcano morphology-the south and
southeastern flank of Shiveluch were blown off in an earlier major
eruption. Today the crater is partly covered by a smooth-looking
apron of debris. In this image, a thin dusting of ash on the surface
of the snow indicates that Shiveluch had "burped" just prior to being
photographed by astronauts. More recently, astronauts aboard the
International Space Station Alpha looked north toward Shiveluch’s
scarred southern slope to get a different perspective of the
impressive cluster of volcanoes in the Klyuchevskaya group and
Shiveluch. The oblique views were acquired because these volcanoes
(at 56.6 degrees latitude) lie north of the station’s orbital track,
which reaches a maximum latitude of 51.6 degrees. Space Station
crewmembers will continue to observe these and other volcanoes for
signs of eruptions.
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