| ISS005 Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights |
| TOP PICKS |
| Click here to view the complete online collection of astronaut photography of Earth >> |
| ISS005-E-9293 |
 ISS005-E-9293 Click the photo number to access all resolutions available and the database record. |
| Ad Dahna Sand Cordon, Saudi Arabia: Driven by northwesterly
winds, sands from northwest Saudi Arabia have accumulated in the
center of the country as great rivers of dunes (cordons) that extend
for hundreds of kilometers. About 320 kilometers northwest of Riyadh,
the steep, almost cliff-like margin of the Ad Dahna cordon casts a
shadow (right center; diagonally across the scene). Two types of dune
surface appear: the tracery of numerous linear dunes (center) and a
featureless sand sheet (lower left). Dark, older rocks (30-65 million
years old—top right) underlie the sand sea and crop out northeast of
the cordon. Convergent dry river beds appear top right. Astronauts have obtained thousands of detailed images of the world’s remote deserts, helping scientists better understand local geomorphological features in a regional context. |
| < Back |
|
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." . |
||||
 |
|
|
 |
|