ISS015-E-15323
Sand dunes are visible to the north, south, and west of the city of Béchar (gray-blue region to the left of the ridges) at image center. Wadis (river channels) are dry most of the year in the arid climate of the region. Unconsolidated (loose) sands left in the channels by intermittent streams are transported by surface winds after the water is gone. This leads to the formation of individual dunes and larger dune fields (both bright tan in color) along the wadi courses, which also concentrate sands from other sources; dune fields are visible to the south of Béchar and at image lower right. The oblique view (looking at an angle, not straight down, from the International Space Station) of this astronaut photograph accentuates cliff and dune shadows, providing a sense of the topography of the region.
ISS015-E-22274
The close-up view shows the WH Complex Fire in southern Montana, which was burning in Gallatin National Forest. As of Friday, August 17, the National Interagency Fire Center estimated its size as 25,400 acres, and it was only 5 percent contained. The rugged topography that makes firefighting in the area so difficult is highlighted by shadows created by the oblique (from the side) perspective from which the astronauts took the photo. The plume has topography of its own, some plumes towering above others, casting dark shadows.
The regional view was taken looking westward toward the horizon. It shows fires not only in Montana, but also fires to the south in Wyoming, and to the northwest in Idaho. South (to the left) of the WH Complex Fire are the Columbine 1 Fire in Yellowstone National Park (18,500 acres and 0 percent contained), and the Hardscrabble Fire in Bridger-Teton National Forest (3,074 acres and 40 percent contained).
An even broader regional view of the extent of the fires was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor onboard NASA’s Aqua satellite on August 12, 2007, the day before these images were taken by astronauts onboard the ISS.
ISS015-E-22276
The close-up view shows the WH Complex Fire in southern Montana, which was burning in Gallatin National Forest. As of Friday, August 17, the National Interagency Fire Center estimated its size as 25,400 acres, and it was only 5 percent contained. The rugged topography that makes firefighting in the area so difficult is highlighted by shadows created by the oblique (from the side) perspective from which the astronauts took the photo. The plume has topography of its own, some plumes towering above others, casting dark shadows.
The regional view was taken looking westward toward the horizon. It shows fires not only in Montana, but also fires to the south in Wyoming, and to the northwest in Idaho. South (to the left) of the WH Complex Fire are the Columbine 1 Fire in Yellowstone National Park (18,500 acres and 0 percent contained), and the Hardscrabble Fire in Bridger-Teton National Forest (3,074 acres and 40 percent contained).
An even broader regional view of the extent of the fires was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor onboard NASA’s Aqua satellite on August 12, 2007, the day before these images were taken by astronauts onboard the ISS.
ISS015-E-18808
This astronaut photograph illustrates the sharp contrasts in land surfaces in the area. Densely populated Ceuta occupies the center of the image, its maze of pink and white residential and industrial rooftops occasionally broken by patches of green—city parks and athletic fields. North of the city, seawalls enclose a small bay and harbor. On the beach, bright blue patches are large water parks. Green, vegetated slopes surround the Spanish fort that sits at the top of Monte Hacho, at the eastern tip of the isthmus. (The fort commands a clear view of the Strait of Gibraltar, which is visible in a regional view of the area. Several small boats are visible near the coastline to the northwest and south of Ceuta.
ISS015-E-16913
Shiveluch rises from almost sea level to a summit altitude of 3,283 meters (10,770 feet), and it is often capped with snow. In this image, from July 10, 2007, however, the full volcano is visible. The dull brown plume extending from the north of the volcano summit is most likely a combination of ash and steam. The two larger white plumes near the summit are dominantly steam, which often forms as rain and melted snow percolate down to the hot interior of the volcano.
The sides of the volcano show many eroded stream channels. The south slope also reveals a long, sloping apron of collapsed material or pyroclastic flows (hot clouds of ash, rock fragments, and gas). Such debris flows have repeatedly slid down and covered the south side of the volcano when the summit lava domes exploded and collapsed. This type of event occurred during major eruptions in 1854 and 1964. Regrowth of forest on the south slope has been foiled by the combined effects of continued volcanic activity, instability of the debris flows and the short growing season.
Shiveluch sits at the intersection of the Kamchatka volcanic line, which runs northeast, and the Aleutian volcanic line, which runs northwest. Junctions such as this are typically points of intense volcanic activity. Lava layers on the sides of the volcano reveal at least 60 major eruptions in the last 10,000 years, making it the most active volcano in the 2,200-kilometer distance that includes the Kamchatka peninsula and the Kuril Island chain.
ISS015-E-26171
Low stratus clouds approaching from the northwest (from the Sea of Okhotsk) bank against the northwest side of the island, forming complex cloud patterns. A small finger of cloud enters the northernmost caldera (Urataman) at sea level. When this image was taken, the cloud layer had stopped at the island’s northwest coast, not flowing over even the low points between the volcanoes. The cloud pattern suggests that an air mass flowed up and over the island, descending on the southeast side. When air rises, it often cools; water vapor in the air condenses into cloud droplets. When air sinks, it often warms, causing cloud droplets to evaporate. It appears that in this situation, the descending motion of the air warmed the atmosphere enough so that a cloud-free zone formed on the southeastern, lee side, of the island.
ISS015-E-28001
This mosaic of four astronaut photographs (including ISS015-E-28001, ISS015-E-28002, ISS015-E-28003 & ISS015-E-28004) illustrates an approximately 47-kilometer (29-mile) section of the monument along the Yampa River in Colorado. The series of images was acquired while the International Space Station was over northeastern Nevada, about 480 kilometers (298 miles) to the west of the center of the mosaic. The oblique (taken from an angle, not straight down), eastward view provides a sense of topography due to shadows and perspective.
The generally flat-lying “layer cake” geology of the region—similar to the Colorado Plateau to the south—is evident in the parallel layers of tan, reddish-brown, and gray-brown sedimentary rocks cut by the Yampa River at the eastern end of the monument (image top). The river drops from a plateau, cutting into the exposed face of a long escarpment, and ripples west between two mountain ridges: Douglas Mountain to the north, and Blue Mountain to the south.
Erosion by the Yampa River in this rugged landscape exposed the Morrison Formation and its trove of fossil material, which includes not only dinosaurs but many other animals and plants. Millions of years ago, the remains of the living things—from bones to leaves—accumulated in streams and shallow lakes and were swiftly buried by clay, silt, and sand. These sediments were turned into rock over many millions of years as they were buried under newer sediments. The abundant fossils of the Morrison Formation, together with fossils that scientists have found in both older and younger rock layers in the area, make Dinosaur National Monument an important scientific resource that continues to provide new insights into the geologic history and ancient ecology of the region.
ISS015-E-28002
This mosaic of four astronaut photographs (including ISS015-E-28001, ISS015-E-28002, ISS015-E-28003 & ISS015-E-28004) illustrates an approximately 47-kilometer (29-mile) section of the monument along the Yampa River in Colorado. The series of images was acquired while the International Space Station was over northeastern Nevada, about 480 kilometers (298 miles) to the west of the center of the mosaic. The oblique (taken from an angle, not straight down), eastward view provides a sense of topography due to shadows and perspective.
The generally flat-lying “layer cake” geology of the region—similar to the Colorado Plateau to the south—is evident in the parallel layers of tan, reddish-brown, and gray-brown sedimentary rocks cut by the Yampa River at the eastern end of the monument (image top). The river drops from a plateau, cutting into the exposed face of a long escarpment, and ripples west between two mountain ridges: Douglas Mountain to the north, and Blue Mountain to the south.
Erosion by the Yampa River in this rugged landscape exposed the Morrison Formation and its trove of fossil material, which includes not only dinosaurs but many other animals and plants. Millions of years ago, the remains of the living things—from bones to leaves—accumulated in streams and shallow lakes and were swiftly buried by clay, silt, and sand. These sediments were turned into rock over many millions of years as they were buried under newer sediments. The abundant fossils of the Morrison Formation, together with fossils that scientists have found in both older and younger rock layers in the area, make Dinosaur National Monument an important scientific resource that continues to provide new insights into the geologic history and ancient ecology of the region.
ISS015-E-28003
This mosaic of four astronaut photographs (including ISS015-E-28001, ISS015-E-28002, ISS015-E-28003 & ISS015-E-28004) illustrates an approximately 47-kilometer (29-mile) section of the monument along the Yampa River in Colorado. The series of images was acquired while the International Space Station was over northeastern Nevada, about 480 kilometers (298 miles) to the west of the center of the mosaic. The oblique (taken from an angle, not straight down), eastward view provides a sense of topography due to shadows and perspective.
The generally flat-lying “layer cake” geology of the region—similar to the Colorado Plateau to the south—is evident in the parallel layers of tan, reddish-brown, and gray-brown sedimentary rocks cut by the Yampa River at the eastern end of the monument (image top). The river drops from a plateau, cutting into the exposed face of a long escarpment, and ripples west between two mountain ridges: Douglas Mountain to the north, and Blue Mountain to the south.
Erosion by the Yampa River in this rugged landscape exposed the Morrison Formation and its trove of fossil material, which includes not only dinosaurs but many other animals and plants. Millions of years ago, the remains of the living things—from bones to leaves—accumulated in streams and shallow lakes and were swiftly buried by clay, silt, and sand. These sediments were turned into rock over many millions of years as they were buried under newer sediments. The abundant fossils of the Morrison Formation, together with fossils that scientists have found in both older and younger rock layers in the area, make Dinosaur National Monument an important scientific resource that continues to provide new insights into the geologic history and ancient ecology of the region.
ISS015-E-28004
This mosaic of four astronaut photographs (including ISS015-E-28001, ISS015-E-28002, ISS015-E-28003 & ISS015-E-28004) illustrates an approximately 47-kilometer (29-mile) section of the monument along the Yampa River in Colorado. The series of images was acquired while the International Space Station was over northeastern Nevada, about 480 kilometers (298 miles) to the west of the center of the mosaic. The oblique (taken from an angle, not straight down), eastward view provides a sense of topography due to shadows and perspective.
The generally flat-lying “layer cake” geology of the region—similar to the Colorado Plateau to the south—is evident in the parallel layers of tan, reddish-brown, and gray-brown sedimentary rocks cut by the Yampa River at the eastern end of the monument (image top). The river drops from a plateau, cutting into the exposed face of a long escarpment, and ripples west between two mountain ridges: Douglas Mountain to the north, and Blue Mountain to the south.
Erosion by the Yampa River in this rugged landscape exposed the Morrison Formation and its trove of fossil material, which includes not only dinosaurs but many other animals and plants. Millions of years ago, the remains of the living things—from bones to leaves—accumulated in streams and shallow lakes and were swiftly buried by clay, silt, and sand. These sediments were turned into rock over many millions of years as they were buried under newer sediments. The abundant fossils of the Morrison Formation, together with fossils that scientists have found in both older and younger rock layers in the area, make Dinosaur National Monument an important scientific resource that continues to provide new insights into the geologic history and ancient ecology of the region.
