STS088-705-40
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Coastal Burma: This image shows Cheduba Island (the round,
offshore island ) and Ramree Island on the rugged west coast of
Burma.
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STS088-724-48
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Eastern Hokkaido, Japan: A portion of Japan’s northern island
of Hokkaido is seen here under snow in the December view. The north
and east coasts of Hokkaido cross the upper right and lower left
quadrants of the view. Snow accentuates the rectangular pattern of
intensive agriculture of the plain in the foreground. The volcanic
spine of the island is the narrow, ragged, snow-covered line of
country immediately behind the agricultural fields (in this
west-looking view). This line of volcanoes stretches from lower right
to the upper left co and includes two lakes in the center of the
view, the larger of which is Lake Kussharo. The lake and mountain
country lie in the Akan national park. The city of Kushiro appears on
the coast near the left margin of the view as a grye area. Although
only founded in 1870, Kushiro now has a population of 205,000 (1990),
is the largest port in eastern Hokkaido, and the gateway to the Akan
park.
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STS088-724-28
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Melbourne, Australia: Melbourne and immediately neighboring
towns make up a densely populated region of more than one million
people and comprize Australia’s second largest city. Dark blue Port
Phillip Bay is the major feature of the view, with light blue shoals
of shallow water near the entrance of the bay (top).
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STS088-724-64
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Kobe and Osaka, Japan: This photograph shows the major cities
of the Kansai region which includes seven Japanese prefectures. This
area has been a political and cultural center of Japan for many
centuries. The cities of Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe are all located in
the photograph. Centered at the mouth of the Yodagawa River on
Osaka Bay, Osaka is home to about 2.5 million people. Moving right
(east) from the main river mouth, the squared E-shaped landfills mark
the port areas of Kobe, center of the tragic Southern Hyogo
Earthquake (Great Hanshin Earthquake) in January 1995. Across the
bay from Kobe, a bridge connects the mainland to Kansai International
Airport.
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STS088-705-39
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Combermere Bay, Myanmar: The northern Burmese coast of the Bay
of Bengal features natural, steep, and sharp edges as well as signs
of extensive agriculture. The long narrow islands point north to the
city of Sittwe (Akyab), and the valley of the Kaladar River. South of
these islands are the many branches of Combermere Bay. On the south
end of the bay is the port city of Kyaukpyu on the north end of the
Ramree Island. Kyaukpyu takes advantage of the deep narrow inlets
that form a natural harbor. Plentiful rainfall from the Indian Ocean
monsoons supports the growth of hardwoods such as teak in the dark
green Arakan mountains. The alluvial plain of the Kaladar River and
other lowlands are used for rice farming. Rice is exported from both
port cities to Bangladesh and other Asian markets.
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STS088-725-P
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South Island, New Zealand. Cape Farewell, Southern Alps and
northern Alpine fault zone.: New Zealand is on the tectonic plate
boundary between the Pacific and the Indian-Australian plates. Near
the center of view the near-vertical Alpine fault zone sharply
defines the plate edge. The coastal zone west of the fault is moving
north relative to the alpine country on the opposite side. The
reddish mass of Dun Mt. has been cut in two by the fault, and the
other half of the mass is some 480 km farther south. In northeastern
South Island, the fault zone begins to step northeastward from South
Island over to North Island.
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STS088-721-23
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South Island, New Zealand. Canterbury Plain.: The plate
boundary zone widens at the stepover, and the master fault breaks
into northeasterly splays. This detailed northwestward view shows the
Hope fault splay, which controls the course of the Hope River; at a
jog in the fault, the Hanmer basin has been pulled open. Hot springs
and earthquakes are common along the Hope fault; the 1888 earthquake
here formed an instant lake in the valley floor.
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STS088-704-13
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South Australia. Eastward view of Nullarbor Plain, Lakes Gairdner
and Torrens, Acraman impact feature, Spencer Gulf, Yorke and Eyre
Peninsulas, Flinders Range, Adelaide.: The Nullarbor Plain has no
surface drainage and is the most extensive karst (solution-collapse)
terrain in Australia. Aligned sinkholes, caves, and channels coincide
with bedrock fractures and faults. Such views of this seldom
photographed region are being used in studies of uplift and sea-level
change.
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STS088-739-91
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Urban Growth in Cairo 1965-98: The population of the Cairo
metropolitan area has increased from less than 6 million in 1965 (Gem05-1-45778) to more than 10 million in 1998 when this
picture was taken (United Nations Population Division, World
Urbanization Prospects, the 1999 revision). Population densities
within the city are some of the highest in the world and the urban
area has doubled to more than 400 square km during that period.
Extraordinary rates of population growth are expected to continue,
with a predicted population of around 14 million by 2015.
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STS088-707-6
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Tarawa and Maiana Atolls: The Republic of Kiribati is an
island nation consisting of some 33 atolls near the equator in the
central Pacific. Before Europeans found the islands, they had been
inhabited for two millennia by indigenous Micronesians. In 1820, the
British named the islands the Gilbert Islands, after Captain Thomas
Gilbert, who discovered some of the atolls in 1788. The islands
eventually gained their independence in the 1970s. Two of
Kiribati’s atolls, Tarawa and Maiana, appear in this image.
Tarawa—remembered as the site of a brutal World War II battle—is the
larger island. Each island consists of a ring of coral around a
central lagoon. This photo shows calm conditions, with clear, still
water in each central lagoon, and a light spray of clouds
overhead. Scientists have debated the formation process of coral
atolls for many years. Today, coral atolls are appreciated for the
insights they provide about climate change. As corals grow, the
density of their skeletons varies with the seasons, forming datable
layers. Depending on salinity, temperature, and water clarity
conditions, the thickness of those growth layers can vary, providing
a record of conditions in the tropics.
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