ISS060-E-77289
| NASA Photo ID | ISS060-E-77289 |
| Focal Length | 95mm |
| Date taken | 2019.09.23 |
| Time taken | 15:20:54 GMT |
720 x 480 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 5568 x 3712 pixels 640 x 427 pixels
Photo center point: 21.3° N, 16.5° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Country or Geographic Name: | CHAD |
Features: | TOUSSIDE VOLCANO, DESERT, TIBESTI MOUNTAINS, LAVA FLOWS |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | 22° |
Sun Azimuth: | 263° |
Camera: | Nikon D5 Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 95mm |
Camera Tilt: | 45 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 720 pixels | 480 pixels | Yes | No | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 720 pixels | 480 pixels | Yes | No | 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 (ISS) shot this photograph of stark desert contrasts in northwestern Chad. The geologically young, dark lava flows of the Tousside volcano stand out from the older, lighter rocks of the Tibesti Mountains and the sands of the central Sahara Desert.
A large portion of the Tibesti Mountains is volcanic in origin. Successive effusive eruptions have formed extensive plateaus that cover older sedimentary rocks. Looking north of Tousside (left in this image), erosion has helped carve the expansive network of canyons. Eolian activity has also played a role: that is, winds have brought lightly colored sands from the north into low-lying areas between the mountainous ridges.
The contrast of color created by flows from Tousside and other volcanoes in northern Africa has captured astronaut's attention for decades. The terrain of the Tibesti mountains is difficult to access, but remote sensing provides a useful means to perform geologic investigations here.
