June 9th, 2010 Category: Lakes

Israel/Palestine and Jordan - June 2nd, 2010

The Dead Sea is a landlocked salt lake between Israel/Palestine and Jordan. Here, both the Dead Sea (below) and the Sea of Galilee (above) appear whitish silver due to sun glint.

The Dead Sea is the lowest body of water on Earth, it averages about 1,312 ft (400 m) below sea level. It is 50 mi (80 km) long and up to 11 mi (18 km) wide.

Its eastern shore is Jordanian, while the southern half of its western shore is Israeli; the northern half of the western shore is within the West Bank, occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War (1967).

Tags: Dead Sea Israel Jordan Middle East Palestine Sea of Galilee West Bank |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

June 5th, 2010 Category: Dust Storms, Image of the day

Egypt - June 2nd, 2010

Dust

Dust from the Sahara Desert blows northwards across Egypt, over the Nile River Delta and above the Mediterranean Sea towards Cyprus. The close-up focuses on the dust partially veiling the delta region.

In the main image, the Sinai Peninsula and Middle Eastern nations such as Israel/Palestine, Jordan and Syria are visible to the east of the delta.

Tags: Africa Cyprus Dust Egypt Israel Jordan Mediterranean Sea Middle East Nile Delta Nile River Palestine Sinai Peninsula Syria |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

December 27th, 2009 Category: Lakes, Rivers

Dead Sea - December 19th, 2009

The Jordan River is a 251 kilometre (156 mile) long river in Southwest Asia which flows vertically through the center of this image, into the Dead Sea. The last section, between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, has the least gradient. Thus, the river begins to meander before it enters the Dead Sea, which is about 400 metres below sea level and has no outlet. Two major tributaries enter from the east during this last phase: the Yarmouk River and Jabbok River.

In 1964, Israel began operating a dam that diverts water from the Sea of Galilee, a major Jordan River water provider, to the National Water Carrier. Also in 1964, Jordan constructed a channel that diverted water from the Yarmouk River. Syria has also built reservoirs that catch the Yarmouk’s waters. Environmentalists blame Israel, Jordan and Syria for extensive damage to the Jordan River ecosystem.

In modern times, the waters are 70% to 90% used for human purposes and the flow is much reduced. Because of this and the high evaporation rate of the Dead Sea, the sea is shrinking. All the shallow waters of the southern end of the sea have been drained in modern times and are now salt flats.

In 2007, Friends of the Earth Middle East named the Jordan River as one of the world’s 100 most endangered ecological sites, due in part to lack of cooperation between Israel and the neighboring Arab states.

Tags: Dead Sea Israel Jabbok River Jordan Jordan River Middle East Syria West Bank Yarmouk River |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

November 6th, 2009 Category: Image of the day, Lakes, Rivers

Eastern Mediterranean - September 24th, 2009

This view of the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea includes the island nation of Cyprus, as well as (counterclockwise along the shoreline from bottom left) Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula, Israel-Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. Inland, Jordan and parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq are also visible.

The dry, arid landscape occupying most of the image is interrputed by several lakes and rivers. Below, in Egypt, the Nile River Delta creates a wide, fan-shaped green area along the Mediterranean coast.

To the northeast, the Dead Sea can be seen in the Jordan Rift Valley, between Israel-Palestine and the West Bank (left) and Jordan (right). The lower part of this inland sea appears  greenish due to an extensive network of salt evaporation pans called the Dead Sea Dikes.

Continuing to the north, Lake Assad is visible in Syria, connected to the Euphrates River. North of Lake Assad is Lake Atatürk Dam, in Turkey.

Finally, also located in Turkey, at the top left, is Lake Tuz. In contrast with the other lakes seen in this image, Lake Tuz appears bright white. It is a salt lake, and the second largest lake in Turkey.

Tags: Cyprus Dead Sea Dead Sea Dikes Egypt Euphrates River Iraq Israel Jordan Jordan Rift Valley Lake Assad Lake Atat Lake Atatürk Dam Lake Tuz Lebanon Mediterranean Sea Nile Delta Nile River Palestine Salt Pans Saudi Arabia Sinai Peninsula Syria Turkey West Bank |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

August 9th, 2009 Category: Lakes

Dead Sea - July 26th, 2009

The Dead Sea lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, between Israel and the West Bank (left) and Jordan (right), surrounded by mountains. An extensive network of salt evaporation pans known as the Dead Sea Dikes can be identified as a series of  parallel lines in the southern part of the lake.

This  orthorectified image also clearly shows the Judean Hills to the west, as well as other steeper mountains to the east. The Judean Hills, also called the Judean Mountains, Hebron Hills and Jibal al-Khalil, run generally north-south. They extend both to the west and east of Jerusalem, with the southern end known as Mount Hebron.

The range forms a natural division between the Shephelah coastal plains to the west and the Jordan Rift Valley to the east, as well as causing the rain shadow responsible for the Judean desert.

Tags: Dead Sea Hebron Hills Israel Jerusalem Jibal al-Khalil Jordan Jordan Rift Valley Judean Hills Judean Mountains Mount Hebron Shephelah Coastal Plains West Bank |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

August 2nd, 2009 Category: Image of the day, Lakes, Rivers

Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and neighbors - June 21st, 2009

The navy blue of the Mediterranean Sea (above) and the Red Sea (below) interrupt the expanses of brown and yellow land. Egypt is the only country visible here that touches both seas. Of particular note in Egyptian territory here are the Nile River (bottom left corner) and the Sinai Peninsula.

Moving up the Mediterranean coast, one comes first to Israel/Palestine and the Dead Sea, then Lebanon, then Syria. Heading inland into Syria, the Euphrates River moves southeastward to Iraq. The two greenish lakes are in Iraqi territory, Buhayrat ath Tharthar (above) and Lake Milh (below).

Returning to the south, Saudi Arabia is crossed by a bright orange swath of desert before arriving at the shores of the Red Sea. At the western extreme of this orange area, between Saudi Arabia and Israel/Palestine, is Jordan.

Tags: Buhayrat ath Tharthar Dead Sea Egypt Euphrates River Iraq Israel Jordan Lake Milh Lebanon Mediterranean Sea Nile River Palestine Red Sea Saudi Arabia Sinai Peninsula Syria |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

July 22nd, 2009 Category: Lakes

Dead Sea - June 21st, 2009

The Dead Sea is located between Israel and the West Bank to the west, and Jordan to the east. It is an endorheic lake located in the Jordan Rift Valley, a geographic feature formed by the Dead Sea Transform.

This left lateral-moving transform fault lies along the tectonic plate boundary between the African Plate and the Arabian Plate. It runs between the East Anatolian Fault zone in Turkey and the northern end of the Red Sea Rift offshore of the southern tip of Sinai.

The Jordan River is the only major water source flowing into the Dead Sea, although there are small perennial springs under and around the Dead Sea, creating pools and quicksand pits along the edges. There are no outlet streams.

Rainfall is scarcely 100 mm (4 in) per year in the northern part of the Dead Sea and barely 50 mm (2 in) in the southern part. The Dead Sea zone’s aridity is due to the rainshadow effect of the Judean Hills. The highlands east of the Dead Sea receive more rainfall than the Dead Sea itself.

To the west of the Dead Sea, the Judean Hills rise less steeply, and are much lower, than the mountains to the east. Along the southwestern side of the lake is a 210 m (700 ft) tall halite formation called “Mount Sodom”.

The lower section of the sea appears green and crossed by parallel lines; these are the Dead Sea Dikes, extensive salt evaporation pans.

Tags: Dead Sea Dead Sea Dikes Dead Sea Transform Israel Jordan Jordan Rift Valley Jordan River Judean Hills Mount Sodom Salt Pans West Bank |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

April 30th, 2009 Category: Image of the day, Rivers

Syria - April 9th, 2009

Syria is an Arab country in Southwest Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Israel to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east, and Turkey to the north. While the images focuses on Syria, parts of its bordering neighbor states can all be seen.

Syria consists mostly of arid plateau, although the northwest part of the country bordering the Mediterranean is fairly green. The Northeast of the country “Al Jazira” and the South “Hawran” are important agricultural areas.

The Euphrates, Syria’s most important river, crosses the country in the east. Here, it can be observed crossing the upper portion of the image.

The capital city of Syria, Damascus, is located in the southwest part of the country; here, covered by clouds. Damascus is widely regarded as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

The climate in Syria is dry and hot, and winters are mild. Because of the country’s elevation, snowfall does occasionally occur during winter.

Tags: Al Jazira Damascus Euphrates River Hawran Iraq Israel Jordan Lebanon Mediterranean Sea Syria Turkey |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment

February 12th, 2009 Category: Dust Storms

Dust Storm in Africa and Middle East - February 11th, 2009

Close-up of sands over Syria

Close-up of sands over Egypt

An intense dust storm is spreading sands from Africa to the Middle East. In the main image, strong winds carry sand from Egypt, over the Mediterranean Sea, and into Jordan, Syria and Iraq.

To see the entire image at full resolution, please click here.

The first close-up gives a detailed look at the sands blowing across the shoreline. The ridged pattern, visible both over land and above the sea, is caused by the granules in the wind.

The second close-up focuses on the strong wind blowing the sand over Syria.

Sands over Sudan

Sands over Saudi Arabia

The final two images depict the more southern portion of the storm, which covers Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea, parts of Ethiopia and Sudan.

Tags: Africa Cairo Dust Storm Egypt Ethiopia Iraq Jordan Mediterranean Sea Middle East Nile River Red Sea Sand Storm Saudi Arabia Sudan Syria |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a comment