Earth from Space - Image Description

STS038-086-013 Falcon Reservoir, Texas, U.S.A. November 1990
Falcon Reservoir, a dammed lake on the Rio Grande in south Texas, and Falcon Dam, operated jointly by the United States and Mexico, attract recreational boaters and fishermen and provide irrigation water and hydroelectric power for the surrounding area. Several tributaries enter the reservoir from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The semiarid region receives less than 20 inches (30 centimeters) of rainfall annually. The wavy lines paralleling either side of Falcon Reservoir result from folding and cross-bedding of the sand and clay formations throughout the area. The linear patterns appear to be field boundaries.

This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.