Section Three of Three . . . . listing 12 thumbnails of the larger earth photos used in the design of Mother Millennia. Next to each thumbnail is the caption provided for that image by the Johnson Space Center's website. (The group of 12 thumbnails is divided into three sections of four photos each to reduce load time waiting. At the bottom of each list of four thumbnails, there are link buttons that go to the others.)
Clicking on the thumbnail itself will give you a larger version of the photo, but not as large as the ones available at the JSC site. |
JSC Photo "Earth from Space" website |
Klyuchevskaya Volcano Klyuchevskaya Volcano erupted with lava and ash explosions only 2 days before this near-vertical photograph was taken October 3, 1994. The landscape does not appear to have been much affected by the large quantity of ash that was spewed into the atmosphere. Collateral information obtained from the Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Network indicated that the eruption was still in progress at the time this photograph was taken but, obviously, at a greatly reduced rate compared to the earlier eruption in which the gas and steam plume rose to an estimated height of 0.6 mile (1 kilometer) above the crater and was dispersed to the south for approximately 3 miles (5 kilometers). Lengthy shadows are cast from several adjacent stratovolcanoes. The summit of Tolbachinskiy Volcano at 12,080 feet (3680 meters) above sea level is prominent southwest of Klyuchevskaya. A small segment of the meandering Kamchatka River is visible along the northwestern edge of the photograph. |
JSC Photo "Earth from Space" website |
Maracaibo, Venezuela This south-southwest-looking, low-oblique photograph shows the Bay of Tablazo and the city of Maracaibo at the entrance into Lake Maracaibo. Maracaibo, the oil capital of South America, is the second largest city in Venezuela. The city is situated on the western side of the channel connecting Lake Maracaibo and the Gulf of Venezuela, which goes into the Caribbean Sea, and serves the rich oil-producing area of northwestern Venezuela. Besides oil, the city exports shrimp, coffee, cacao, sugar, and hardwood. With an average temperature of 82 ¡F (28 ¡C) and high humidity, Maracaibo has one of the least attractive climates in the world; however, air conditioning mitigates the discomfort. The city is thoroughly modern with wide streets and impressive buildings. |
JSC Photo "Earth from Space" website |
Oahu, Hawaii
Oahu, third largest and most important of the Hawaiian Islands, can be seen in this low-oblique, north-northeast-looking photograph (the line to true north runs from Pearl Harbor to Kahuka Point). The island covers 598 square miles (1536 square kilometers). Pearl Harbor, the city of Honolulu, and the International Airport's large runway built on a coral reef can be seen near the center of the photograph. Geologically, two great volcanoes once made up the island of Oahu; but, over time, erosion has left the volcanoes as two parallel mountain ranges-Koolau northeast of Honolulu and Waianae northwest of Honolulu (under clouds). The mountain ranges are separated by a rolling plateau dissected by deep gorges, visible north of Honolulu. Oahu has no active volcanoes, but there are many extinct craters, such as Diamond Head, which is visible southeast of Honolulu. Large pineapple plantations cover the central plateau, and sugarcane plantations cover the coastal plains to the north. Population growth and urban development since the late 1960s have depleted a portion of the rural land available for agriculture. Oahu remains an important site for the U.S. Department of Defense, as it includes the headquarters of the United States Pacific Command and the Pearl Harbor Naval Complex. |
JSC Photo "Earth from Space" website |
Saharan Sand Storm When viewed from the altitudes at which the Space Shuttle flies, sandstorms and duststorms are impressive natural phenomena. This high-oblique photograph of a rapidly moving dust storm is a dramatic example of a storm in the northern Sahara Desert, probably in southern Algeria and Niger. Too few recognizable landmarks are visible to determine the storm's exact geographic location. Small cumulus clouds have formed over the most vigorously ascending parts of the storm front, thus enhancing the visual effect of the leading edge. Such storms can continue into the Atlantic Ocean, sending dust as far as the Western Hemisphere and into North and South America. [abbreviated text - full text available at JSC site ] |
