ISS023-E-15142
| NASA Photo ID | ISS023-E-15142 |
| Focal Length | 800mm |
| Date taken | 2010.03.31 |
| Time taken | 08:46:51 GMT |
Resolutions offered for this image:
1000 x 628 pixels 540 x 339 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 4288 x 2929 pixels 640 x 437 pixels
1000 x 628 pixels 540 x 339 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 4288 x 2929 pixels 640 x 437 pixels
Spacecraft nadir point: 11.5° N, 120.6° E
Photo center point: 12.1° N, 121.4° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Photo center point: 12.1° N, 121.4° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Nadir to Photo Center: Northeast
Spacecraft Altitude: 185 nautical miles (343km)
Country or Geographic Name: | PHILIPPINES |
Features: | SEMIRARA ISLANDS, PANIAN COALFIELD |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | 19° |
Sun Azimuth: | 270° |
Camera: | Nikon D2Xs Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 800mm |
Camera Tilt: | 18 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 | 628 pixels | No | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 339 pixels | Yes | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 720 pixels | 480 pixels | Yes | Yes | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 4288 pixels | 2929 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 640 pixels | 437 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
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Image Caption: Panian Mine, Semirara Island, Philippines
This detailed astronaut photograph provides a rare cloud-free view of the northern end of Semirara Island, which is located approximately 280 kilometers to the south of Manila in the Philippines. The northern part of the island is dominated by the Panian Coalfield, the largest of three coalfields on the island. Most of the coal is used for energy generation in the Philippines, with some exported to India and China.
The Panian coalfield is being mined using open-pit methods. The rock and soil above the coal layers (or seams) is known as overburden. Overburden is removed from the pit and heaped into piles, several of which ring the northern half of the pit. Several of the dark coal seams are visible along the sunlit southern wall of the pit (these may be more visible in the larger image version). Plumes of sediment from the overburden piles enter the Sulu Sea along the northern and eastern coastline of the island.
The Semirara coalfields formed from 12-23 million years ago along what was then a coastal plain--similar to the current geologic environment of the southeastern Gulf Coast of the United States. Organic materials were deposited in sequences of sandstone and mudstone, which were then covered by limestones as the environment became progressively more marine. Over geologic time, increased pressure from the overlying rocks changed the layers of organic material into coal.
This detailed astronaut photograph provides a rare cloud-free view of the northern end of Semirara Island, which is located approximately 280 kilometers to the south of Manila in the Philippines. The northern part of the island is dominated by the Panian Coalfield, the largest of three coalfields on the island. Most of the coal is used for energy generation in the Philippines, with some exported to India and China.
The Panian coalfield is being mined using open-pit methods. The rock and soil above the coal layers (or seams) is known as overburden. Overburden is removed from the pit and heaped into piles, several of which ring the northern half of the pit. Several of the dark coal seams are visible along the sunlit southern wall of the pit (these may be more visible in the larger image version). Plumes of sediment from the overburden piles enter the Sulu Sea along the northern and eastern coastline of the island.
The Semirara coalfields formed from 12-23 million years ago along what was then a coastal plain--similar to the current geologic environment of the southeastern Gulf Coast of the United States. Organic materials were deposited in sequences of sandstone and mudstone, which were then covered by limestones as the environment became progressively more marine. Over geologic time, increased pressure from the overlying rocks changed the layers of organic material into coal.
