< ISS055-E-31116 >
| NASA Photo ID | ISS055-E-31116 |
| Focal Length | 25mm |
| Date taken | 2018.04.22 |
| Time taken | 18:51:45 GMT |
3712 x 4228 pixels 720 x 820 pixels 5568 x 3712 pixels 640 x 427 pixels
Country or Geographic Name: | CANADA-BC |
Features: | VANCOUVER ISLAND, CANADA, WASHINGTON, STRAIT OF GEORGIA, VANCOUVER, CASCADE MTS., SUN GLINT |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | 47° |
Sun Azimuth: | 142° |
Camera: | Nikon D5 Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 25mm |
Camera Tilt: | 53 degrees |
Format: | 5568E: 5568 x 3712 pixel CMOS sensor, 35.9 x 23.9 mm, total pixels: 21.33 million, Nikon FX format |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3712 pixels | 4228 pixels | No | Yes | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 720 pixels | 820 pixels | Yes | Yes | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 5568 pixels | 3712 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 640 pixels | 427 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station shot this springtime photograph of the snow-covered regions of British Columbia (Canada) and the U.S. state of Washington. Both cities of Vancouver, as well as the island, were named for Captain George Vancouver, a British Royal Navy officer best known for his exploration of the northwestern Pacific Coast in the late 1700s. (Note: Vancouver, Washington, is just beyond the top edge of the image.)
After the expeditions by Vancouver and later by Lewis and Clark in the early 1800s, American and European pioneers flocked to the region. This area of the Pacific Northwest, specifically near the Salish Sea and the Columbia River, became popular for fur trading between Native people and European and American explorers in the early 1800s.
By the late 1800s, newcomers quickly realized the potential of another natural resource, which led to a flourishing commercial salmon industry in the 1890s. The region is still a major exporter of wild salmon and now farmed salmon, too; British Columbia's largest agrifood export is actually Atlantic salmon. The area is also popular with tourists who visit the region's lakes and rivers to fish for trout, sturgeon, and salmon.
Prominent in this photo is the snow-capped Cascade Volcanic Arc, a range of thirteen major volcanic centers that runs from northern California to coastal British Columbia. The volcanoes are fueled by subduction along the edges of two tectonic plates. Many of them became active about 36 million years ago, with the most recent activity being ash and steam eruptions and summit dome growth at Mount St. Helens that ended in 2008.

