< ISS024-E-11914 >
| NASA Photo ID | ISS024-E-11914 |
| Focal Length | 400mm |
| Date taken | 2010.08.13 |
| Time taken | 21:07:18 GMT |
Resolutions offered for this image:
1000 x 646 pixels 540 x 349 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 4288 x 2929 pixels 640 x 437 pixels
1000 x 646 pixels 540 x 349 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 4288 x 2929 pixels 640 x 437 pixels
Spacecraft nadir point: 14.5° S, 151.9° W
Photo center point: 14.9° S, 148.7° W
Photo center point by machine learning:
Photo center point: 14.9° S, 148.7° W
Photo center point by machine learning:
Nadir to Photo Center: East
Spacecraft Altitude: 190 nautical miles (352km)
Country or Geographic Name: | TUAMOTU ARCHIPELAGO |
Features: | MATAIVA ISLAND, CORAL REEF, PACIFIC OCEAN, PAHUA |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | 57° |
Sun Azimuth: | 30° |
Camera: | Nikon D2Xs Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 400mm |
Camera Tilt: | 46 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 | 646 pixels | No | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 349 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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No GeoTIFF is available for this photo.Image Caption: Mataiva Atoll, Tuamotu Archipelago, South Pacific Ocean
The Tuamotu Archipelago is part of French Polynesia, and forms the largest chain of atolls in the world. This astronaut photograph features Mataiva Atoll, the westernmost atoll of the Tuamotu chain. An atoll is a ring-shaped island that encloses a central lagoon. This distinctive morphology is usually associated with oceanic islands formed by volcanoes; coral reefs become established around the partially submerged volcanic cone. Over geologic time the central volcano becomes extinct, followed by erosion and subsidence beneath the sea surface, leaving the coral reefs as a ring around (or cap on) the submerged island remnant. Coral reefs exposed above the sea surface in turn experience erosion, sedimentation, and soil formation, leading to the establishment of vegetation and complex ecosystems--including in many cases human habitation.
Mataiva Atoll is notable in that its central lagoon includes a network of ridges (white, image center) and small basins formed from eroded coral reefs. Mataiva means "nine eyes" in Tuamotuan, an allusion to nine narrow channels on the south-central portion of the island. The atoll is sparsely populated, with only a single village--Pahua--located on either side of the only pass providing constant connection between the shallow (light blue) water of the lagoon and the deeper (dark blue) adjacent Pacific Ocean. Much of the 10-kilometer- (6-mile-) long atoll is covered with forest (greenish brown). Vanilla and copra (dried coconut) are major exports from the atoll, but tourism is becoming a larger part of the economy.
The Tuamotu Archipelago is part of French Polynesia, and forms the largest chain of atolls in the world. This astronaut photograph features Mataiva Atoll, the westernmost atoll of the Tuamotu chain. An atoll is a ring-shaped island that encloses a central lagoon. This distinctive morphology is usually associated with oceanic islands formed by volcanoes; coral reefs become established around the partially submerged volcanic cone. Over geologic time the central volcano becomes extinct, followed by erosion and subsidence beneath the sea surface, leaving the coral reefs as a ring around (or cap on) the submerged island remnant. Coral reefs exposed above the sea surface in turn experience erosion, sedimentation, and soil formation, leading to the establishment of vegetation and complex ecosystems--including in many cases human habitation.
Mataiva Atoll is notable in that its central lagoon includes a network of ridges (white, image center) and small basins formed from eroded coral reefs. Mataiva means "nine eyes" in Tuamotuan, an allusion to nine narrow channels on the south-central portion of the island. The atoll is sparsely populated, with only a single village--Pahua--located on either side of the only pass providing constant connection between the shallow (light blue) water of the lagoon and the deeper (dark blue) adjacent Pacific Ocean. Much of the 10-kilometer- (6-mile-) long atoll is covered with forest (greenish brown). Vanilla and copra (dried coconut) are major exports from the atoll, but tourism is becoming a larger part of the economy.
