Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights

STS-103 Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Photographic Highlights

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STS103-710-84 Great Sand Seas, Algeria: Two great sand seas occupy northern Algeria, Grand Erg Oriental (Eastern Sand Sea) and Grand Erg Occidental (Western Sand Sea). Both sand seas occupy depressions that are separated by a north-south rise called Mizab. Ergs are areas of large accumulations of sand that take the form of actively shifting dunes, fossilized dunes, or extensive sand sheets.

STS103-728-22 Tifernine Dunes, Algeria: The Tifernine dunes (note, the Tifernine dunes are below the "beak" of sandstone rock) were created when the dark sandstone rocks trapped sand. Winds then piled the sand into dunes up to 457.2 m (1,500 ft). The color of the sandstone is due to a desert varnish. The varnish is composed of manganese, iron oxides, hydroxides, and clay minerals.

STS103-501-104 Texas, Oklahoma: The Red River snakes its way through the East Texas Piney Woods at center and meets with the southern edge of the Ouachita folded mountains of southern Oklahoma. The white, linear feature north of the Red River is most likely a jet stream cloud. Jet contrails can be seen flying over the cloud. Along the Texas Gulf Coast are Galveston Bay and the city of Houston.

STS103-730-32 Rocky Mountains, USA: The southern to middle Rocky Mountains were captured by this photograph with low sunlight. The middle Rockies include the Big Horn range of Wyoming (snow capped range almost center of horizon) and the Unita Mountains of northeastern Utah (snow capped range left side of horizon). The southern Rockies includes the Front Range, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Sawatch Ranges, and the San Juan Mountains. The eastern (Front Range, Sangre de Cristo) and western ranges (Sawatch, San Juan's) are separated by intermontane basins. The southernmost basin and near center of the image is the San Luis Valley of Colorado. On the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley is the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

STS103-501-152 Southern Florida: The city of Miami encroaches the eastern edge of the Everglades in Florida. The Everglades is an International Biosphere Reserve World Heritage Site.

STS103-728-35 Cape Canaveral, Florida: Shuttle missions begin at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The old launch pads dot the "V" shaped land (Cape Canaveral) along the coast. On Merritt Island the Shuttle launch pads and runway are visible. The large city surrounded by circular lakes to the west of Cape Canaveral is Orlando.

STS103-501-161 Maui, Hawaii, Hawaiian Islands: The youngest Hawaiian Island, Hawaii, and the second youngest, Maui, were photographed by the STS-103 crew on December 26, 1999.

STS103-702-51 Bahamas: The high altitude of STS-103 enabled the crew to obtain this panoramic view of some of the islands of the Bahamas. The Bahamas are an archipelago that comprises nearly 700 islands and cays, only 30 of which are inhabited. The Bahamas were created from shallow water calcium carbonate deposits that have precipitated out of the water column and grown over the highest elevations of the submerged Bahama banks. At least three types of underwater communities exist here, soft coral and sponge reefs, sandy bottom communities, and hard corals. Stresses to the reefs include overfishing, coastal development and population growth, and poorly managed boating, diving, and increased tourism.

STS103-703-M Moonrise: Moonrise over the planet Earth.

STS103-708-81 Madagascar: An almost complete panoramic view of the fourth largest island in the world, Madagascar. The distinctive red color of Madagascar is due to the composition of its soil. The central plateau and eastern coast are composed of gneiss, granite, and quartz. These rocks decompose into a laterite, or red soil that is leached of soluble minerals and of alumina and silica but retain the oxides and hydroxides of iron.
Madagascar was once almost completely covered by forests. Burning the forests to clear land for dry rice cultivation has denuded much of the island, especially in the central highlands. As a result of this deforestation increased erosion had lead to higher amounts of sediment being carried in the rivers, making them appear red instead of shades of blue.

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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

STS103-710-84	Great Sand Seas, Algeria: Two great sand seas occupy northern Algeria, Grand Erg Oriental (Eastern Sand Sea) and Grand Erg Occidental (Western Sand Sea). Both sand seas occupy depressions that are separated by a north-south rise called Mizab. Ergs are areas of large accumulations of sand that take the form of actively shifting dunes, fossilized dunes, or extensive sand sheets.
STS103-728-22	Tifernine Dunes, Algeria: The Tifernine dunes (note, the Tifernine dunes are below the "beak" of sandstone rock) were created when the dark sandstone rocks trapped sand. Winds then piled the sand into dunes up to 457.2 m (1,500 ft). The color of the sandstone is due to a desert varnish. The varnish is composed of manganese, iron oxides, hydroxides, and clay minerals.
STS103-501-104	Texas, Oklahoma: The Red River snakes its way through the East Texas Piney Woods at center and meets with the southern edge of the Ouachita folded mountains of southern Oklahoma. The white, linear feature north of the Red River is most likely a jet stream cloud. Jet contrails can be seen flying over the cloud. Along the Texas Gulf Coast are Galveston Bay and the city of Houston.
STS103-730-32	Rocky Mountains, USA: The southern to middle Rocky Mountains were captured by this photograph with low sunlight. The middle Rockies include the Big Horn range of Wyoming (snow capped range almost center of horizon) and the Unita Mountains of northeastern Utah (snow capped range left side of horizon). The southern Rockies includes the Front Range, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Sawatch Ranges, and the San Juan Mountains. The eastern (Front Range, Sangre de Cristo) and western ranges (Sawatch, San Juan's) are separated by intermontane basins. The southernmost basin and near center of the image is the San Luis Valley of Colorado. On the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley is the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
STS103-501-152	Southern Florida: The city of Miami encroaches the eastern edge of the Everglades in Florida. The Everglades is an International Biosphere Reserve World Heritage Site.
STS103-728-35	Cape Canaveral, Florida: Shuttle missions begin at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The old launch pads dot the "V" shaped land (Cape Canaveral) along the coast. On Merritt Island the Shuttle launch pads and runway are visible. The large city surrounded by circular lakes to the west of Cape Canaveral is Orlando.
STS103-501-161	Maui, Hawaii, Hawaiian Islands: The youngest Hawaiian Island, Hawaii, and the second youngest, Maui, were photographed by the STS-103 crew on December 26, 1999.
STS103-702-51	Bahamas: The high altitude of STS-103 enabled the crew to obtain this panoramic view of some of the islands of the Bahamas. The Bahamas are an archipelago that comprises nearly 700 islands and cays, only 30 of which are inhabited. The Bahamas were created from shallow water calcium carbonate deposits that have precipitated out of the water column and grown over the highest elevations of the submerged Bahama banks. At least three types of underwater communities exist here, soft coral and sponge reefs, sandy bottom communities, and hard corals. Stresses to the reefs include overfishing, coastal development and population growth, and poorly managed boating, diving, and increased tourism.
STS103-703-M	Moonrise: Moonrise over the planet Earth.
STS103-708-81	Madagascar: An almost complete panoramic view of the fourth largest island in the world, Madagascar. The distinctive red color of Madagascar is due to the composition of its soil. The central plateau and eastern coast are composed of gneiss, granite, and quartz. These rocks decompose into a laterite, or red soil that is leached of soluble minerals and of alumina and silica but retain the oxides and hydroxides of iron. Madagascar was once almost completely covered by forests. Burning the forests to clear land for dry rice cultivation has denuded much of the island, especially in the central highlands. As a result of this deforestation increased erosion had lead to higher amounts of sediment being carried in the rivers, making them appear red instead of shades of blue.

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