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  Image: Geographic Location Direction Photo #: ISS062-E-40353 Date: Feb. 2020
Geographic Region: ALBANIA
Feature: LAKE SKADAR, DINARIC ALPS, MORACA RIVER, DRIN RIVER, KIR RIVER, BOJANA RIVER, ADRIATIC SEA, MONTENEGRO

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  Lake Skadar, Montenegro and Albania

Dark and light sediments swirl around in the center of Lake Skadar (also known as Lake Shkodra), the largest lake on the Balkan Peninsula. This pattern captured the attention of an astronaut onboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Lake Skadar is a karst lake that straddles the border of Montenegro and Albania. It is an example of a cryptodepression, where parts of the lakebed extend below sea level. The curved, spine-like ridges running parallel with the southern shore are part of the Dinaric Alps, which are comprised mostly of easily erodible rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and other carbonates.

The swirling plume in the center of the lake is likely the mixing of sediment that has been transported downstream from higher elevations via snow-melt water and other mountain runoff. A major source of this sediment inflow comes from the Moraca River; its wide delta occupies much of the Montenegro shoreline. Smaller river deltas along the northern edges of the lake also contribute sediment. The Drin River and the Bojana River converge just south of the ancient lake-front city of Shkoder, which lies on the small delta of the Kir River. The lake and these rivers all ultimately drain into the Adriatic Sea.

As with many large freshwater lakes near cities, many of the native plants and animals in Lake Skadar became endangered due to human activity. Montenegro has since made the western portion of the lake a national park, and Albania declared its section as a nature reserve. Both efforts were made to protect many species of birds, microorganisms, and aquatic life, including eels, snails, and endemic fish species.

 
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Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 525k
Mission: ISS062  
Roll - Frame: E - 40353
Geographical Name: ALBANIA  
Features: LAKE SKADAR, DINARIC ALPS, MORACA RIVER, DRIN RIVER, KIR RIVER, BOJANA RIVER, ADRIATIC SEA, MONTENEGRO  
Center Lat x Lon: 42.1N x 19.4E
Film Exposure:   N=Normal exposure, U=Under exposed, O=Over exposed, F=out of Focus
Percentage of Cloud Cover-CLDP: 10
 
Camera: N8
 
Camera Tilt: 13   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 400  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction: E   The direction from the nadir to the center point, N=North, S=South, E=East, W=West
Stereo?:   Y=Yes there is an adjacent picture of the same area, N=No there isn't
Orbit Number:  
 
Date: 20200221   YYYYMMDD
Time: 112700   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 41.8N  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 18.6E  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 189   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 225   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: 37   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views: ALBANIA, ALPS, MOUNTAIN, PENINSULA  
Water Views: DELTA, FRONT, LAKE, RIVER, SEA, SEDIMENT  
Atmosphere Views: PLUME  
Man Made Views:  
City Views:  
Photo is not associated with any sequences


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