ISS010-E-13088
| NASA Photo ID | ISS010-E-13088 |
| Focal Length | 400mm |
| Date taken | 2005.01.15 |
| Time taken | 07:45:34 GMT |
1000 x 657 pixels 355 x 540 pixels 540 x 349 pixels 540 x 711 pixels 3032 x 2064 pixels 639 x 435 pixels
Photo center point: 4.8° N, 95.5° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Country or Geographic Name: | INDONESIA-S |
Features: | RAYA I., GLINT, TSUNAMI DAMAGE |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 25 (11-25)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | 47° |
Sun Azimuth: | 226° |
Camera: | Kodak DCS760c Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 400mm |
Camera Tilt: | 54 degrees |
Format: | 3060E: 3060 x 2036 pixel CCD, RGBG array |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 pixels | 657 pixels | No | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 355 pixels | 540 pixels | Yes | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 349 pixels | Yes | Yes | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 711 pixels | Yes | Yes | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 3032 pixels | 2064 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 639 pixels | 435 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
On December 26, 2004, a large (magnitude 9.0) earthquake occurred off the western coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The earthquake was caused by the release of stresses accumulated as the Burma tectonic plate overrides the India tectonic plate. Movement of the seafloor due to the earthquake generated a tsunami, or seismic sea wave, that affected coastal regions around the Indian Ocean. The northwestern Sumatra coastline in particular suffered extensive damage and loss of life. These astronaut photographs illustrate damage along the southwestern coast of Aceh Province in the vicinity of the city of Lho' Kruet, Indonesia.
Large areas of bare and disturbed soil (brownish gray) that were previously covered with vegetation are visible along the coastline in the near-nadir (top) image. Embayments in the coastline were particularly hard hit, while adjacent headlands were less affected. The oblique (lower) astronaut photograph was acquired 45 seconds after the near-nadir photograph, and captures sunglint illuminating the Indian Ocean and standing water inland (light gray, yellow). Distortion and scale differences in the images are caused by increased obliquity of the view from the International Space Station. Arrows on the photographs indicate several points of comparison between the two images. Standing bodies of seawater may inhibit revegetation of damaged areas and act as sources of salt contamination in soil and groundwater.
