ISS014-E-14618
| NASA Photo ID | ISS014-E-14618 |
| Focal Length | 400mm |
| Date taken | 2007.02.23 |
| Time taken | 17:08:55 GMT |
Resolutions offered for this image:
1000 x 547 pixels 540 x 295 pixels 540 x 334 pixels 3032 x 2064 pixels 639 x 435 pixels
1000 x 547 pixels 540 x 295 pixels 540 x 334 pixels 3032 x 2064 pixels 639 x 435 pixels
Cloud masks available for this image:
Spacecraft nadir point: 11.3° N, 71.0° W
Photo center point: 10.7° N, 71.6° W
Photo center point by machine learning:
Photo center point: 10.7° N, 71.6° W
Photo center point by machine learning:
Nadir to Photo Center: Southwest
Spacecraft Altitude: 185 nautical miles (343km)
Country or Geographic Name: | VENEZUELA |
Features: | MARACAIBO |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | 69° |
Sun Azimuth: | 188° |
Camera: | Kodak DCS760c Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 400mm |
Camera Tilt: | 15 degrees |
Format: | 3060E: 3060 x 2036 pixel CCD, RGBG array |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 pixels | 547 pixels | No | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 295 pixels | Yes | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 334 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 |
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Image Caption: Maracaibo City and Oil Slick, Venezuela:
This astronaut photograph depicts the narrow (6-kilometer-wide) strait between Lake Maracaibo to the south and the Gulf of Venezuela to the north. This brackish lake in northern Venezuela is the largest in South America. The lake and its small basin sit on top of a vast reservoir of buried oil deposits, first tapped in 1914. Venezuela is now the world's fifth largest oil producer. The narrow strait has been deepened to allow ocean-going vessels access to the lake for oil transport.
Shipping is one of the main sources of pollution in the lake; pollution enters the lake when when ships dump ballast and other waste. An oil slick, likely related to bilge pumping, can be seen as a bright streak northeast of El Triunfo in this image from February 23, 2007. Other sources of pollution to the lake include underwater oil pipeline leakage, untreated municipal and industrial waste from coastal cities, and runoff of chemicals from surrounding farm land. Deepening the narrow channel for shipping has also allowed saltwater intrusion into the lake, negatively affecting lake life.
Since the discovery of oil, cities like Maracaibo have sprung up along the northwestern coastline of the lake. With satellite cities such as San Luis and El Triunfo (visible in this view), greater Maracaibo has a population of about 2.5 million. Just outside the lower margin of the picture, a major bridge spans the narrows pictured here, connecting cities such as Altagracia (top right) to Maracaibo.
This astronaut photograph depicts the narrow (6-kilometer-wide) strait between Lake Maracaibo to the south and the Gulf of Venezuela to the north. This brackish lake in northern Venezuela is the largest in South America. The lake and its small basin sit on top of a vast reservoir of buried oil deposits, first tapped in 1914. Venezuela is now the world's fifth largest oil producer. The narrow strait has been deepened to allow ocean-going vessels access to the lake for oil transport.
Shipping is one of the main sources of pollution in the lake; pollution enters the lake when when ships dump ballast and other waste. An oil slick, likely related to bilge pumping, can be seen as a bright streak northeast of El Triunfo in this image from February 23, 2007. Other sources of pollution to the lake include underwater oil pipeline leakage, untreated municipal and industrial waste from coastal cities, and runoff of chemicals from surrounding farm land. Deepening the narrow channel for shipping has also allowed saltwater intrusion into the lake, negatively affecting lake life.
Since the discovery of oil, cities like Maracaibo have sprung up along the northwestern coastline of the lake. With satellite cities such as San Luis and El Triunfo (visible in this view), greater Maracaibo has a population of about 2.5 million. Just outside the lower margin of the picture, a major bridge spans the narrows pictured here, connecting cities such as Altagracia (top right) to Maracaibo.
- Related image
- South-looking image of the entire lake in 1985
