Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights

STS-092 Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights

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STS092-706-5 ISS over the central Sahara: The first components of the International Space Station are in stark contrast to the Bodele Desert in Northeastern Chad. The dark streaks are wind cut grooves in the soft rock of the desert floor. They align with the prevailing winds and they can be remarkably deep.

STS092-710-80 Persian Gulf port of Dammam, Saudi Arabia: Dammam Saudi Arabia is the site of the first oil well Dammam #7 brought in by Standard Oil of California. The towns in the region merged in the 1980s to form Dammam. It is the terminus of numerous pipelines and the country's only railroad. The photograph shows the port and petroleum infrastructure. The forked pier structure is the heart of the city of Dammam. Two of the Saudi Kingdoms major universities are located in the combined city.

STS092-712-67 Stratocumulus clouds, southern Pacific Ocean: This view is part of a large field of cellular stratocumulus clouds over the southern Pacific Ocean. Such patterns are common over the tropical and subtropical oceans when high pressure dominates and winds are light and variable. Under these stable conditions, a gradual modification of a cool, dry air mass to a more marine nature can occur, forming this cloud pattern.

STS092-713-33 Amber sunglint over the Great Lakes: A large, slow-moving area of high pressure was centered over the province of Quebec on October 21, 2000. This scene with sun glint illuminates almost all water-bodies in the region from the upper St. Lawrence River through the lower Great Lakes of Ontario and Erie. The coppery tint of the reflections is indicative of atmospheric aerosols. Particularly noticeable is the color change over Lake Erie as a light, southeasterly airflow near the surface advects smog from the upper Ohio Valley and the eastern U.S.

STS092-716-AJ Northern Persian Gulf: This photograph was taken looking west from Iran showing the Zagros Mountains in the foreground. It highlights the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers as they converge to form the Shatt al Arab. Kuwait is outlined by the different land use patterns around its border. Sunglint adds contrast to the rivers and the various irrigation projects in the upper Persian Gulf region.

STS092-309-6 Mt. Egmont/Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand: The contrast between pasture and forest is striking in this photograph of Mt. Egmont/Taranaki Park. The park was created in 1900 and is entirely forested up to the tree line. At the center of the park is Mt. Egmont/Taranaki, a 2518 m (8261 ft) high, snow -capped volcano. Egmont/Taranaki has erupted at least eight times in the last 6000 years; the last recorded eruption was in 1755. The height of this volcano creates its own climate and helps to maintain the greenness of the forests. The slopes of Egmont/Taranaki are the wettest on North Island. In nearby New Plymouth the annual rainfall is 1500 mm (59 in) per year. At 1000 m (3280 ft) up the slopes of the volcano the annual rainfall rate is 6500-7500 mm (256-295 in). Mt. Egmont/Taranaki has not had a major eruption in 245 years, but it only considered dormant and not an extinct volcano.

STS092-316-27 Ometepe Island, Lake Nicaragua, Nicaragua: Ometepe Island is the largest island in the largest lake (Lake Nicaragua) in Central America. The island is composed of two volcanoes, Concepcion and La Madera, joined together by a narrow isthmus 3 km (2 mi) wide. Concepcion volcano on the northwest part of the island is 1610m (5282 ft) high and has erupted at least 24 times since 1883. The last major eruption was in 1986. La Madera is the smaller volcano located on the southeast part of the island. This volcano has not erupted in the last 10000 years and is covered by a dense rainforest. Ometepe Island is about 8 km (5 miles) from the mainland and has an estimated population of 9000.

STS092-324-35 New England synoptic view, with Cape Cod: The hook of Cape Cod lies in the center foreground of this photograph that includes Long Island with a spine of cloud left of center (obscuring New York and neighboring cities), and Lake Champlain in northern New York state (upper right). At the head of Massachusetts Bay, the large bay immediately north (to the right) of Cape Cod, the city of Boston is the largest of several small gray areas near the coast. The light-colored Champlain-Hudson River line cuts across the middle of the view from left to right, dividing the dark fall colors of the forested hills of New England in the foreground from those of the Adirondacks and Catskills in New York state (top right). The Mohawk Gap (top center) joins the Hudson valley just south of Lake Champlain and the curved parallel lines of the Appalachian Mts. appear top left.

STS092-327-19 Swiss Alps-Lake of Geneva and Mont Blanc: This view of far western Switzerland shows the Lake of Geneva center and the Jura Mts of southeast France across the top. Because of the oblique look angle (towards the northwest)-and because of the clarity of the air at high altitudes-the major ranges of the Alps appear in great detail and even appear three-dimensional. Mont Blanc, the highest point in Europe at 4808m (~15600 ft), lies in the knot of snowy peaks in the lower left corner. Note how the lake and its valley, extending to the left margin of the view, appear duller than the high, snow covered ridgelines of the mountains. Apparently the air at lower levels is less clear, presumably as a result of air pollutants emitted from power plants and industry. The city of Geneva lies at the south end of the lake (far left).

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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

STS092-706-5	ISS over the central Sahara: The first components of the International Space Station are in stark contrast to the Bodele Desert in Northeastern Chad. The dark streaks are wind cut grooves in the soft rock of the desert floor. They align with the prevailing winds and they can be remarkably deep.
STS092-710-80	Persian Gulf port of Dammam, Saudi Arabia: Dammam Saudi Arabia is the site of the first oil well Dammam #7 brought in by Standard Oil of California. The towns in the region merged in the 1980s to form Dammam. It is the terminus of numerous pipelines and the country's only railroad. The photograph shows the port and petroleum infrastructure. The forked pier structure is the heart of the city of Dammam. Two of the Saudi Kingdoms major universities are located in the combined city.
STS092-712-67	Stratocumulus clouds, southern Pacific Ocean: This view is part of a large field of cellular stratocumulus clouds over the southern Pacific Ocean. Such patterns are common over the tropical and subtropical oceans when high pressure dominates and winds are light and variable. Under these stable conditions, a gradual modification of a cool, dry air mass to a more marine nature can occur, forming this cloud pattern.
STS092-713-33	Amber sunglint over the Great Lakes: A large, slow-moving area of high pressure was centered over the province of Quebec on October 21, 2000. This scene with sun glint illuminates almost all water-bodies in the region from the upper St. Lawrence River through the lower Great Lakes of Ontario and Erie. The coppery tint of the reflections is indicative of atmospheric aerosols. Particularly noticeable is the color change over Lake Erie as a light, southeasterly airflow near the surface advects smog from the upper Ohio Valley and the eastern U.S.
STS092-716-AJ	Northern Persian Gulf: This photograph was taken looking west from Iran showing the Zagros Mountains in the foreground. It highlights the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers as they converge to form the Shatt al Arab. Kuwait is outlined by the different land use patterns around its border. Sunglint adds contrast to the rivers and the various irrigation projects in the upper Persian Gulf region.
STS092-309-6	Mt. Egmont/Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand: The contrast between pasture and forest is striking in this photograph of Mt. Egmont/Taranaki Park. The park was created in 1900 and is entirely forested up to the tree line. At the center of the park is Mt. Egmont/Taranaki, a 2518 m (8261 ft) high, snow -capped volcano. Egmont/Taranaki has erupted at least eight times in the last 6000 years; the last recorded eruption was in 1755. The height of this volcano creates its own climate and helps to maintain the greenness of the forests. The slopes of Egmont/Taranaki are the wettest on North Island. In nearby New Plymouth the annual rainfall is 1500 mm (59 in) per year. At 1000 m (3280 ft) up the slopes of the volcano the annual rainfall rate is 6500-7500 mm (256-295 in). Mt. Egmont/Taranaki has not had a major eruption in 245 years, but it only considered dormant and not an extinct volcano.
STS092-316-27	Ometepe Island, Lake Nicaragua, Nicaragua: Ometepe Island is the largest island in the largest lake (Lake Nicaragua) in Central America. The island is composed of two volcanoes, Concepcion and La Madera, joined together by a narrow isthmus 3 km (2 mi) wide. Concepcion volcano on the northwest part of the island is 1610m (5282 ft) high and has erupted at least 24 times since 1883. The last major eruption was in 1986. La Madera is the smaller volcano located on the southeast part of the island. This volcano has not erupted in the last 10000 years and is covered by a dense rainforest. Ometepe Island is about 8 km (5 miles) from the mainland and has an estimated population of 9000.
STS092-324-35	New England synoptic view, with Cape Cod: The hook of Cape Cod lies in the center foreground of this photograph that includes Long Island with a spine of cloud left of center (obscuring New York and neighboring cities), and Lake Champlain in northern New York state (upper right). At the head of Massachusetts Bay, the large bay immediately north (to the right) of Cape Cod, the city of Boston is the largest of several small gray areas near the coast. The light-colored Champlain-Hudson River line cuts across the middle of the view from left to right, dividing the dark fall colors of the forested hills of New England in the foreground from those of the Adirondacks and Catskills in New York state (top right). The Mohawk Gap (top center) joins the Hudson valley just south of Lake Champlain and the curved parallel lines of the Appalachian Mts. appear top left.
STS092-327-19	Swiss Alps-Lake of Geneva and Mont Blanc: This view of far western Switzerland shows the Lake of Geneva center and the Jura Mts of southeast France across the top. Because of the oblique look angle (towards the northwest)-and because of the clarity of the air at high altitudes-the major ranges of the Alps appear in great detail and even appear three-dimensional. Mont Blanc, the highest point in Europe at 4808m (~15600 ft), lies in the knot of snowy peaks in the lower left corner. Note how the lake and its valley, extending to the left margin of the view, appear duller than the high, snow covered ridgelines of the mountains. Apparently the air at lower levels is less clear, presumably as a result of air pollutants emitted from power plants and industry. The city of Geneva lies at the south end of the lake (far left).

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