| STS-096 Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights |
| TOP PICKS |
| Click here to view the complete online collection of astronaut photography of Earth >> |
| STS096-715-14 |
 STS096-715-14 Click the photo number to access all resolutions available and the database record. |
| Lake Baykal, and Baykal rift, Russia: Lake Baykal, the largest
freshwater lake in the world (30,500 sq km in area; 1741 m deep),
stretches beneath the International Space Station in this westward
view. At the southwest end of the lake, the university city of
Irkutsk occupies the end of a narrow bay on the northern coast.
Academician Ridge extends northeastward into the lake. The lake fills most of the Baykal rift which, like the Rio Grande rift of southwestern North America, began opening about 28 million years ago; some segments are still active. Hot springs rise and enter the lake along the faults that bound Academician Ridge, and million-year-old volcanic vents (Tunka, Khamar Daban) have constructed the highlands at the southwest end of the rift. |
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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." . |
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