July 3rd, 2009
Category: Snapshots
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Andorra - June 10th, 2009
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a small landlocked country, the sixth smallest nation in Europe. It is visible here in the center of this orthorectified ASAR (radar) image, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain (below) and France (above).
Due to its location in the eastern Pyrenees mountain range, Andorra consists predominantly of rugged mountains of an average height of 1,996 metres (6,549 ft) with the highest being the Coma Pedrosa at 2,946 metres (9,665 ft).
These are dissected by three narrow valleys in a Y shape that combine into one as the main stream, the Valira River, leaves the country for Spain (at Andorra’s lowest point of 870 m/2,854 ft). Andorra’s surface area is 468 square kilometres (181 sq mi).
Tags: Andorra Coma Pedrosa Europe France Orthorectification Pyrenees Spain Valira River | 
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July 3rd, 2009
Category: Lakes, Volcanoes
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Djibouti and Eritrea - July 2nd, 2009
The landscape of Djibouti, a country in the Horn of Africa, can be seen in detail in this orthorectified ASAR (radar) image. Djibouti is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The bodies of water visible here on the right are Lake Ghoubet and the Gulf of Tadjoura, which provides the entrance to the Red Sea. Most of its coastline is the territory of Djibouti, except for a short stretch on the southern shore which is part of the territory of Somalia.
Djibouti’s size is just over 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 sq mi), and it has 314 km (195 mi) of coastline. Its climate is mostly warm, dry desert.
The country’s landscape is mainly a stony desert, with scattered plateaus and highlands. Mountains in the center of the country separate a coastal plain and a plateau. Two volcanoes are visible in the upper left quadrant, one in Djibouti, the other to the left just over the Ethiopia border.
Tags: Djibouti Ethiopia Gulf of Tadjoura Horn of Africa Lake Ghoubet Orthorectification Volcanoes | Print This Post
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July 2nd, 2009
Category: Rivers, Snapshots
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California, USA - June 30th, 2009
This orthorectified ASAR (radar) image shows two geographical divisions of California, USA: the South Coast Ranges and the Central Valley.
The South Coast Ranges run north and south, parallel to the Pacific Coast, between San Francisco Bay to the north, the California Central Valley to the east, the Transverse Ranges to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
Much of the Central Valley is used for agriculture, although many populated areas are also visible. The bright white patch in the center, surrounded by farmland, is the city of Stockton. In and around Stockton are thousands of miles of waterways and rivers that make up the California Delta.
One important body of water visible here, at the upper left, is Suisun Bay, a shallow tidal estuary. It lies at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, thus forming the entrance to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, an inverted river delta.
Tags: California California Delta Central Valley Joaquin River Delta Orthorectification Sacramento River San Joaquin River South Coast Ranges Stockton Suisun Bay USA | Print This Post
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July 2nd, 2009
Category: Image of the day
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Italy - June 11th, 2009
The River Po runs in a wavy black line across the top edge of this orthorectified, projected ASAR image of northern Italy.
Below, another straighter, lighter line bisects the image: the motorway connecting four Italian cities. These populated areas appear as rounded white patches, and are, from left to right, Parma, Reggio nell’Emilia, Modena and Bologna.
South of those cities are the peaks of the Apennines, occupying most of the lower half of the image. In the full image, the cities of Prato (center right) and Pistoia (center left) are visible at the bottom edge, at the foot of the range.
Tags: Apennines Bologna Europe Italy Modena Orthorectification Parma Pistoia Prato Reggio nell'Emilia River Po | Print This Post
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July 1st, 2009
Category: Volcanoes
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California, USA - June 30th, 2009
This orthorectified ASAR (radar) image shows Mount Shasta, a 14,179-foot (4,322 m) stratovolcano that is the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range and the fifth highest peak in California. It is a member of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and is located in Siskiyou County.
Mount Shasta is not connected to any nearby mountain; as can be seen here, it rises abruptly from miles of level ground which encircle it, standing nearly 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above the surrounding area.
Mount Shasta has an estimated volume of 108 cubic miles (450 km3), making it the most voluminous stratovolcano in the Cascades.
The mountain consists of four overlapping volcanic cones which have built a complex shape, including the main summit and the prominent satellite cone of 12,330-foot (3,760 m) Shastina, which has a visibly conical form. If Shastina were a separate mountain, it would rank as the third-highest peak of the Cascade Range.
Mount Shasta’s surface is relatively free of deep glacial erosion except, paradoxically, for its south side where Sargents Ridge runs parallel to the U-shaped Avalanche Gulch. This is the largest glacial valley on the volcano, although it does not presently have a glacier in it.
Tags: California Cascade Range Cascade Volcanic Arc Mount Shasta Orthorectification Shastina Siskiyou County USA Volcano | Print This Post
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July 1st, 2009
Category: Climate Change
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India - June 8th, 2009
Indian officials say that monsoon rains in the country are likely to be “below normal” triggering off fears about crop failure and high food prices, reports the BBC. A heat wave is sweeping the country and rains, which usually last from June to September, are delayed in many parts.
Forecasters say that rainfall is likely to be lower than predicted in April, when they said it would be near normal. The Hindustan Times said that in at least eight states, monsoon rains so far had been 60 to 90% below normal.
Northwest India appears to be worst affected by the slow rains, with only 81% rains forecast. This image focuses on an area of northern India, below Tibet (top edge) and Nepal and the Himalayas.
However, the government says there is no need for panic, and that heavy rains in July are likely to avert a drought.
Monsoon rains are critical to India’s farm prospects, which account for a sixth of economic output. Up to 70% of Indians are dependent on farm incomes, and about 60% of India’s farms depend on rains.
The summer rains are crucial to crops such as rice, soybean, sugarcane and cotton. Economists agree that the delay will cause further stress in a country where food prices are already high.
Tags: Himalayas India Monsoon Nepal Tibet | Print This Post
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June 30th, 2009
Category: Image of the day, Rivers
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Shanxi Province, China - June 24th, 2009
The Lena River runs horizontally across the left side of this image, forming an immense delta by its mouth in Sakha Republic, in the far north of eastern Siberia, Russia. The Lena empties into the Laptev Sea, which is mostly covered in ice, here.
Much of the delta is protected as the Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve, a scientific nature reserve with a total land area of 61,000 square kilometres (23,552 sq mi), making it the largest protected area in Russia.
The delta itself has a size of about 30,000 square kilometres (11,583 sq mi), making it one of the largest of the world. It protects large concentrations of birds, including swans, geese and ducks, loons, shorebirds, raptors and gulls. It is also an important fish spawning site.
Tags: Ice Laptev Sea Lena Delta Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve Lena River Russia Sakha Republic Siberia | Print This Post
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June 29th, 2009
Category: Rivers
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Brazil - June 11th, 2009
The Araguaia River, visible as a vertical tan line on the right side of this image, is one of the major rivers of Brazil, and the principal tributary of the Tocantins. It has a total length of approximately 2,627 km.
Along its course, the river forms the border between the Brazilian federal states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Tocantins and Pará. Here, most of the land visible is in Mato Grosso, west of the river, and Tocantins, east of the river.
The dark green and brown land around the Araguaia is a protected area for indigenous peoples, part of the Parque Indigena do Araguaia. On the far left, the dark green area of rainforest is also a protected national park, the Parque Nacional Xingu.
The parks were created with the twin objectives of protecting the environment and the indigenous populations of the area.
The land in the center of the image, however, is not protected and has been deforested and exploited for agriculture and grazing.
Tags: Amazon Rainforest Araguaia River Brazil Deforestation Goiás Mato Grosso Pará Parque Indigena do Araguaia Parque Nacional Xingu Tocantins Tocantins River | Print This Post
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