Great Barrier Reef, Australia - May 22nd, 2009
Princess Charlotte Bay
Coral Reef
EOSnap celebrates its 1000th post with this sharp and brightly colored image of the Great Barrier Reef along the Cape York Peninsula, in Queensland, Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 3,000 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi).
The first two close-ups focus on the coral reef on the eastern coast of the Cape York Peninsula. One detail is of the Princess Charlotte Bay, a part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which is a habitat for dugong. The Normanby, Bizant, North Kennedy, and Morehead rivers all terminate in this bay.
Torres Strait
The central close-up portrays the northernmost tip of the Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Strait and islands above it.
The final two close-ups focus on the western coast of the peninsula, which is not part of the Great Barrier Reef. Instead, the coast is fringed by tan sediments, which fade into a yellow-green hue as they mix with the waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria. One close-up includes Mission River (top). The red patches near the river are bare areas of earth, used for mining or construction.
The other detail shows the Mitchell River, which has the state’s largest discharge, particularly when pulsing with monsoonal rains, though it is intermittent and may be dry for part of the year. The last time EOSnap observed this area, the terrain was dark green due to vegetational growth during times of flooding. Now, the terrain appears drier and browner in color.
Mission River
Mitchell River
