ISS002 Earth Sciences Results Briefing, 14 February, 2002

ISS002 Earth Sciences Results Briefing
February 14, 2002

RAINFALL AND WATER ISSUES

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ISS002-715-68 Andean Salars: Water levels in some salars (ephemeral salt lakes) in the Andean Altiplano, such as Uyuní, drop during El Niño periods leaving bright salt-crusted patches in the high desert. Water returns to the salars during La Niña phases.

ISS002-715-67 Andean Salars: Salar de Coipasa lies just north of Uyuní and responds similarly to El Niño/La Niña rainfall cycles. The long time series of photos in the Earth sciences database makes it possible to track such events and to quantify changes.

ISS002-728-87 Lake Eyre, Australia: Lake Eyre, South Australia, is another sensitive indicator of global weather patterns, such as El Niño/La Niña episodes. Drying of the lake has been associated with past El Niño events, while flooding has occurred during La Niña episodes.

ISS002-703-71 Australia: Lake McKay, lying on the border between Western Australia and Northern Territory, responds to El Niño cycles in similar manner to Lake Eyre.

ISS002-701-13 Paraná River: This broad view shows the delta of the Paraná in the regional context of the Rio de la Plata estuary; Buenos Aires, Argentina is on the SW shore and Montevideo, Uruguay is near the Atlantic on the NE. Following rains in the vast drainage basin of the Paraná large volumes of sediment are transported to the estuary, as seen here.

ISS002-701-129 Paraná River: Plumes of sediment extend outward to the Atlantic, where tides and oceanic currents interact with flow from the estuary. The Uruguayan capital of Montevideo is at lower right, below the gyre of sediment-laden water.

ISS002-715-60 Somalian Coast: Somalia Coastal Dunes. Vegetation color in the ISS 2 image appears similar to that in the NM-21 photo (March, 1996), taken a year before a major El Niño event. The NASA-6 photo (January, 1998), taken during an El Niño episode, shows intensely green vegetation following record rainfall in East Africa. There is no Somalian weather service, so rainfall and weather patterns are commonly extrapolated from Ethiopian measurements or interpreted from satellite images. Photos from this and past missions corroborate other research indicating that El Niño cycles also affect this part of the world. It is thought that an El Niño pattern is developing now. Images like these can provide initial information about the health of crops and potential for malaria outbreaks.

ISS002-716-8 Tigris-Euphrates: Euphrates River, Turkey, Syria. This panoramic view shows the chain of reservoirs on the Euphrates, extending from Keban, Hazar, etc. in the north to Lake Assad (Syria) in the south. The Turks have embarked on an ambitious program of reservoir construction referred to as the Greater Anatolia Project, in the course of which 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants will be built by the end of 2005.

ISS002-710-28 Tigris-Euphrates: Lake Ataturk, southern Turkey. The dam that impounds Lake Ataturk, one of the largest in the world, was completed in 1990.

ISS002-710-19 Tigris-Euphrates: Lake Assad, Syria. With completion of the various Turkish water projects, Syria could lose as much as 40 percent of its surface water supply.

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ISS002-715-68	Andean Salars: Water levels in some salars (ephemeral salt lakes) in the Andean Altiplano, such as Uyuní, drop during El Niño periods leaving bright salt-crusted patches in the high desert. Water returns to the salars during La Niña phases.
ISS002-715-67	Andean Salars: Salar de Coipasa lies just north of Uyuní and responds similarly to El Niño/La Niña rainfall cycles. The long time series of photos in the Earth sciences database makes it possible to track such events and to quantify changes.
ISS002-728-87	Lake Eyre, Australia: Lake Eyre, South Australia, is another sensitive indicator of global weather patterns, such as El Niño/La Niña episodes. Drying of the lake has been associated with past El Niño events, while flooding has occurred during La Niña episodes.
ISS002-703-71	Australia: Lake McKay, lying on the border between Western Australia and Northern Territory, responds to El Niño cycles in similar manner to Lake Eyre.
ISS002-701-13	Paraná River: This broad view shows the delta of the Paraná in the regional context of the Rio de la Plata estuary; Buenos Aires, Argentina is on the SW shore and Montevideo, Uruguay is near the Atlantic on the NE. Following rains in the vast drainage basin of the Paraná large volumes of sediment are transported to the estuary, as seen here.
ISS002-701-129	Paraná River: Plumes of sediment extend outward to the Atlantic, where tides and oceanic currents interact with flow from the estuary. The Uruguayan capital of Montevideo is at lower right, below the gyre of sediment-laden water.
ISS002-715-60	Somalian Coast: Somalia Coastal Dunes. Vegetation color in the ISS 2 image appears similar to that in the NM-21 photo (March, 1996), taken a year before a major El Niño event. The NASA-6 photo (January, 1998), taken during an El Niño episode, shows intensely green vegetation following record rainfall in East Africa. There is no Somalian weather service, so rainfall and weather patterns are commonly extrapolated from Ethiopian measurements or interpreted from satellite images. Photos from this and past missions corroborate other research indicating that El Niño cycles also affect this part of the world. It is thought that an El Niño pattern is developing now. Images like these can provide initial information about the health of crops and potential for malaria outbreaks.
ISS002-716-8	Tigris-Euphrates: Euphrates River, Turkey, Syria. This panoramic view shows the chain of reservoirs on the Euphrates, extending from Keban, Hazar, etc. in the north to Lake Assad (Syria) in the south. The Turks have embarked on an ambitious program of reservoir construction referred to as the Greater Anatolia Project, in the course of which 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants will be built by the end of 2005.
ISS002-710-28	Tigris-Euphrates: Lake Ataturk, southern Turkey. The dam that impounds Lake Ataturk, one of the largest in the world, was completed in 1990.
ISS002-710-19	Tigris-Euphrates: Lake Assad, Syria. With completion of the various Turkish water projects, Syria could lose as much as 40 percent of its surface water supply.

This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science Directorate. Recommended Citation: Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center. "The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth." .
	NASA Responsible Official: Tracy Calhoun Curator: jsc-earthweb@mail.nasa.gov Contributors: Earth Sciences Web Team	National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center	International Space Station National Laboratory Last Update:
Server: 1