Image Caption: STS051-101-042 Tarrabool Lake, Northern Territory, Australia September 1993
Tarrabool Lake (large, light colored feature slightly left of center) is located on the western fringe of the Barkly Tableland in northeastern Northern Territory. The actual size of the lake fluctuates as a function of the amount of precipitation that the surrounding area receives in any given year. Although the lake is fed by several creeks, it receives most of its runoff from Creswell Creek which can be seen entering the northeast end of the lake. The wooded swampland of the lake is a major breeding area for colonial water birds, especially Australian Pelicans and Straw-necked Ibis. When fully inundated, Tarrabool is the largest wooded swamp in tropical Australia. The four lighter-colored, clustered features in the lower right corner of the image includes Corella Lake and Lake Sylvester. Refer to image STS051-078-013 for a detailed description of these milky-colored lakes.