ISS017 Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights

TOP PICKS

Click here to view the complete online collection of astronaut photography of Earth >>

ISS017-E-6110

ISS017-E-6110         Click the photo number to access all resolutions available and the database record.

Vermillion Cliffs and Paria River, Arizona: The largest tributary of the Colorado River between Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon, the Paria River flows southeast from its headwaters in southernmost Utah to join the Colorado River between Page, Arizona, and Marble Canyon. The Paria River provides spectacular scenery, and is known for the very narrow “slot” canyons that it cuts through the layered rocks of the Colorado Plateau. These canyons formed over millions of years by water erosion slicing deep into the rock layers. Exploring the river channel through the slot canyons is a popular activity for hikers and backpackers. Indeed, there is no road access to much of the river channel, and hiking in on foot is the only way to experience the slot canyons. The Paria River also exposes the red and white layers of rocks beneath the Paria Plateau that are known as the Vermilion Cliffs (image center). These rocks record the changing environmental conditions of the region during the early Mesozoic Era (248 to 65 million years ago), ranging from widespread deserts to more water-rich periods when rivers flowed across the landscape. The spectacular scenery of the Vermilion Cliffs and Paria Canyon falls within the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. This rugged and remote landscape is also home to many species of raptors, including the California condor, and other desert fauna like bighorn sheep.

< 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." .
	NASA Responsible Official: Susan Runco 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