Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights

STS-089 Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights

TOP PICKS

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

STS089-705-Q Banks Peninsula, New Zealand: A line perpendicular to the coast south of Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. This very visible line is probably caused by a wind associated with a weather system changing the surface reflectance for this sun angle. At the north edge of the plankton bloom is the subtropical convergence zone where subtropical (productive) waters from the north meet sub-Antarctic (much less productive) waters from the south. The two currents meet and flow outwards from the shore in an eastward direction over the Chatham Rise, where water depths decrease from 2,500 m to 125 m over a relatively short distance. This bathy- metrically locked feature is seen in many images (including AVHRR) and marks an area of very productive water, high in phytoplankton. Communique to S. Runco from Richard Murphy, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand.

STS089-715-67 Argentina: Pie de Palo, Argentina with the long ridge of the Western Sierras Pampeanas to the northeast. Pie de Palo is in the northern Precordillera. Age and compositions of the rocks of this range, which is shown in splendid detail in this photograph, are virtually identical to those of the Llano uplift in central Texas.

STS089-742-15 Mt. Aconcagua and the Andes: This fine view embraces Mt. Aconcagua and the Andes, Pie de Palo, and the southern Famatina range. The Precordillera occupies most of the frame; it is a block of North American crust that rifted away from southern North America about 450 million years ago and became attached to western South America. The ancient basement rocks, the sedimentary rocks that rest upon basement, and the fossil fauna that they contain indicated that the block originated off central to west Texas. Rocks exposed near San Juan, for example, are almost indistinguishable from those of the Franklin Mts. near El Paso. The cities of San Juan and Mendoza are centers for almond, citrus and grape growing.

STS089-743-5 Auckland Islands: Auckland Islands -- big sea cliffs (51.2S, 166.8E). During the STS-89 mission (1/29/98)there was a report of ~700 rare New Zealand seal lion pups found dead on the beaches of Dundas Island in the Auckland Island group. As of this this writing, results of autopsies conducted by biologists of the New Zealand Department of Conservation are not yet known. The animals had not been caught in nets or injured by trawlers; possible causes of death include a virus, bacteria, or a toxic algae bloom.

STS089-743-51 Santiago, Chile and Mendoza, Argentina: High Andes between Santiago, Chile and Mendoza, Argentina. BJ's photograph, centered on Mt. Aconcagua (22,834 ft), was taken at about the time when ham radio communication was established between Endeavour and members of a climbing expedition of the flanks of the great mountain.

< Previous 1 Next >

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

STS089-705-Q	Banks Peninsula, New Zealand: A line perpendicular to the coast south of Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. This very visible line is probably caused by a wind associated with a weather system changing the surface reflectance for this sun angle. At the north edge of the plankton bloom is the subtropical convergence zone where subtropical (productive) waters from the north meet sub-Antarctic (much less productive) waters from the south. The two currents meet and flow outwards from the shore in an eastward direction over the Chatham Rise, where water depths decrease from 2,500 m to 125 m over a relatively short distance. This bathy- metrically locked feature is seen in many images (including AVHRR) and marks an area of very productive water, high in phytoplankton. Communique to S. Runco from Richard Murphy, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand.
STS089-715-67	Argentina: Pie de Palo, Argentina with the long ridge of the Western Sierras Pampeanas to the northeast. Pie de Palo is in the northern Precordillera. Age and compositions of the rocks of this range, which is shown in splendid detail in this photograph, are virtually identical to those of the Llano uplift in central Texas.
STS089-742-15	Mt. Aconcagua and the Andes: This fine view embraces Mt. Aconcagua and the Andes, Pie de Palo, and the southern Famatina range. The Precordillera occupies most of the frame; it is a block of North American crust that rifted away from southern North America about 450 million years ago and became attached to western South America. The ancient basement rocks, the sedimentary rocks that rest upon basement, and the fossil fauna that they contain indicated that the block originated off central to west Texas. Rocks exposed near San Juan, for example, are almost indistinguishable from those of the Franklin Mts. near El Paso. The cities of San Juan and Mendoza are centers for almond, citrus and grape growing.
STS089-743-5	Auckland Islands: Auckland Islands -- big sea cliffs (51.2S, 166.8E). During the STS-89 mission (1/29/98)there was a report of ~700 rare New Zealand seal lion pups found dead on the beaches of Dundas Island in the Auckland Island group. As of this this writing, results of autopsies conducted by biologists of the New Zealand Department of Conservation are not yet known. The animals had not been caught in nets or injured by trawlers; possible causes of death include a virus, bacteria, or a toxic algae bloom.
STS089-743-51	Santiago, Chile and Mendoza, Argentina: High Andes between Santiago, Chile and Mendoza, Argentina. BJ's photograph, centered on Mt. Aconcagua (22,834 ft), was taken at about the time when ham radio communication was established between Endeavour and members of a climbing expedition of the flanks of the great mountain.

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