ISS019-E-14473
| NASA Photo ID | ISS019-E-14473 |
| Focal Length | 400mm |
| Date taken | 2009.05.05 |
| Time taken | 13:56:55 GMT |
Resolutions offered for this image:
1000 x 660 pixels 540 x 356 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 3072 x 2098 pixels 640 x 437 pixels
1000 x 660 pixels 540 x 356 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 3072 x 2098 pixels 640 x 437 pixels
Cloud masks available for this image:
Spacecraft nadir point: 21.7° S, 69.1° W
Photo center point: 20.9° S, 69.5° W
Photo center point by machine learning:
Photo center point: 20.9° S, 69.5° W
Photo center point by machine learning:
Nadir to Photo Center: Northwest
Spacecraft Altitude: 193 nautical miles (357km)
Country or Geographic Name: | CHILE |
Features: | EVAPORATION PONDS, PAMPA DEL TAMARUGAL |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | 36° |
Sun Azimuth: | 48° |
Camera: | Nikon D2Xs Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 400mm |
Camera Tilt: | 16 degrees |
Format: | 4288E: 4288 x 2848 pixel CMOS sensor, RGBG imager color filter |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 pixels | 660 pixels | No | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 356 pixels | Yes | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 720 pixels | 480 pixels | Yes | Yes | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 3072 pixels | 2098 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 640 pixels | 437 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
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Image Caption: Solar Evaporation Ponds, Atacama Desert
Brightly colored solar evaporation (salt) ponds in a desert landscape give this astronaut photo an unreal quality. The ponds sit near the foot of a long alluvial fan in the Pampa del Tamarugal, the great hyper-arid inner valley of Chile's Atacama Desert. The alluvial fan sediments are dark brown, and they contrast sharply with tan sediments of the Pampa del Tamarugal.
Nitrates and many other minerals are mined in this region. A few extraction pits and ore dumps are visible at upper left. Iodine is one of the products from mining; it is first extracted by heap leaching. Waste liquids from the iodine plants are dried in the tan and brightly colored evaporation ponds to crystallize nitrate salts for collection. The recovered nitrates are mainly used for fertilizer for higher-value crops. They are also used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, explosives, glass, and ceramics, as well as in water treatment and metallurgical processes.
Brightly colored solar evaporation (salt) ponds in a desert landscape give this astronaut photo an unreal quality. The ponds sit near the foot of a long alluvial fan in the Pampa del Tamarugal, the great hyper-arid inner valley of Chile's Atacama Desert. The alluvial fan sediments are dark brown, and they contrast sharply with tan sediments of the Pampa del Tamarugal.
Nitrates and many other minerals are mined in this region. A few extraction pits and ore dumps are visible at upper left. Iodine is one of the products from mining; it is first extracted by heap leaching. Waste liquids from the iodine plants are dried in the tan and brightly colored evaporation ponds to crystallize nitrate salts for collection. The recovered nitrates are mainly used for fertilizer for higher-value crops. They are also used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, explosives, glass, and ceramics, as well as in water treatment and metallurgical processes.
