StanScratch
My Penis Is Dancing!
I was thinking the same thing, Sky. Tint it Red and that is something that could have come from the surface of Mars.
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NASA picture of the day
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Mount Kazbek, Caucasus, Russia
This photograph of Mt. Kazbek was taken from the International Space Station on August 13, 2002. The astronauts and cosmonauts took the photograph at the request of the Russian URAGAN project, which is studying changes in the world’s glaciers in response to global climate change. Although scientists have predicted the possibility of large glacial collapses as the climate warms, no one predicted that tragedy would strike the mountain village of Karmadon, a little more than a month later.
On September 20 a collapse of a hanging glacier from the slope of Mt Dzhimarai-Khokh onto the Kolka glacier triggered an avalanche of ice and debris that went over the Maili Glacier terminus then slid over 15 miles. It buried small villages in the Russian Republic of North Ossetia, killing dozens of people. Where the ice stopped, the glacial debris flow dammed rivers further below. Several lakes formed and one of them flooded a village. The lakes are now threatening to burst and form debris flows.
This photograph shows the lower part of the Kolka Glacier terminus, on to which the glacier from Mt Dzhimarai-Khokh collapsed—the mountain itself is further to the west. However, the Maili Glacier and its terminus, as well as the upper part of the Genaldon River valley that was filled by the debris slide is very clear in the photo. In this very detailed view, Karmadon is much further to the North.
Exactly a hundred years ago, in 1902, the same kind of catastrophe happened in this valley, killing 32 people. In 1969 Kolka Glacier surged, but there were no casualties and the villages were not affected. The 1969 surge was studied by a special expedition, however after the glacier stabilized, research in the area stopped. It was concluded that the 1902 catastrophe was also a result of a glacier surge. The latest data on the 2002 catastrophe raise doubts in this conclusion—it is possible that the 1902 event resulted from a similar cascade of collapses.
Russian scientists Olga Tutubalina, Dmitry Petrakov, Sergei Chernomorets (Moscow State University) and Lev Dessinov (Russian Academy of Sciences) have been cooperating with the NASA Crew Earth Observations project to help interpret detailed glacier imagery captured from the International Space Station. International Space Station crewmembers are surveying glaciers around the world using their low orbit and high-magnification lenses to get high spatial resolution.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
This photograph of Mt. Kazbek was taken from the International Space Station on August 13, 2002. The astronauts and cosmonauts took the photograph at the request of the Russian URAGAN project, which is studying changes in the world’s glaciers in response to global climate change. Although scientists have predicted the possibility of large glacial collapses as the climate warms, no one predicted that tragedy would strike the mountain village of Karmadon, a little more than a month later.
On September 20 a collapse of a hanging glacier from the slope of Mt Dzhimarai-Khokh onto the Kolka glacier triggered an avalanche of ice and debris that went over the Maili Glacier terminus then slid over 15 miles. It buried small villages in the Russian Republic of North Ossetia, killing dozens of people. Where the ice stopped, the glacial debris flow dammed rivers further below. Several lakes formed and one of them flooded a village. The lakes are now threatening to burst and form debris flows.
This photograph shows the lower part of the Kolka Glacier terminus, on to which the glacier from Mt Dzhimarai-Khokh collapsed—the mountain itself is further to the west. However, the Maili Glacier and its terminus, as well as the upper part of the Genaldon River valley that was filled by the debris slide is very clear in the photo. In this very detailed view, Karmadon is much further to the North.
Exactly a hundred years ago, in 1902, the same kind of catastrophe happened in this valley, killing 32 people. In 1969 Kolka Glacier surged, but there were no casualties and the villages were not affected. The 1969 surge was studied by a special expedition, however after the glacier stabilized, research in the area stopped. It was concluded that the 1902 catastrophe was also a result of a glacier surge. The latest data on the 2002 catastrophe raise doubts in this conclusion—it is possible that the 1902 event resulted from a similar cascade of collapses.
Russian scientists Olga Tutubalina, Dmitry Petrakov, Sergei Chernomorets (Moscow State University) and Lev Dessinov (Russian Academy of Sciences) have been cooperating with the NASA Crew Earth Observations project to help interpret detailed glacier imagery captured from the International Space Station. International Space Station crewmembers are surveying glaciers around the world using their low orbit and high-magnification lenses to get high spatial resolution.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Good post!
Palm Island Resort, Dubai United Arab Emirates
Sometimes, what looks like a palm tree from orbit is, well, a palm tree. Palm Island Resort, just 1 mile off the coast from Dubai, is scheduled to be complete by 2006. Advertised as “being visible from the Moon” this man-made structure will have 17 huge fronds surrounded by a crescent-shaped breakwater. This island is being built from 80 million cubic meters (2.8 billion cubic feet) of land dredged from the approach channel to the Emirate’s Jebel Ali port, which is being deepened to 17 meters (56 feet). Sediments in the water from dredging activity can be seen near the port.
Palm Island is one of several massive projects in Dubai aimed at diversifying the economic base by expanding the tourist industry. The government of Dubai predicts that tourism, mostly from Europe, will quadruple to 15 million visitors annually by 2010. When completed the resort will have approximately 1200 single-family residences each with private beachfront, 600 multi-family residences, an aquatic theme park, shopping centers, cinemas, and more. A twin island is planned to be built nearby.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Sometimes, what looks like a palm tree from orbit is, well, a palm tree. Palm Island Resort, just 1 mile off the coast from Dubai, is scheduled to be complete by 2006. Advertised as “being visible from the Moon” this man-made structure will have 17 huge fronds surrounded by a crescent-shaped breakwater. This island is being built from 80 million cubic meters (2.8 billion cubic feet) of land dredged from the approach channel to the Emirate’s Jebel Ali port, which is being deepened to 17 meters (56 feet). Sediments in the water from dredging activity can be seen near the port.
Palm Island is one of several massive projects in Dubai aimed at diversifying the economic base by expanding the tourist industry. The government of Dubai predicts that tourism, mostly from Europe, will quadruple to 15 million visitors annually by 2010. When completed the resort will have approximately 1200 single-family residences each with private beachfront, 600 multi-family residences, an aquatic theme park, shopping centers, cinemas, and more. A twin island is planned to be built nearby.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Merry Christmas to All!!
San Francisco from the International Space Station
This image shows a photograph of San Francisco taken as the International Space Station passed 383 km overhead on November 10, 2000. It was taken by astronauts looking out one of the station windows using 35 mm film and a 400 mm lens. The view includes the area stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge in the north to the San Mateo Bridge on the southeast.
In the full-resolution version major landmarks are easily distinguished, and wider streets such as Van Ness and Geary can be easily distinguished from the less distinct grid of smaller streets. Digitized from film at high resolution, each pixel in this image represents 14.6 m on the ground.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
San Francisco from the International Space Station
This image shows a photograph of San Francisco taken as the International Space Station passed 383 km overhead on November 10, 2000. It was taken by astronauts looking out one of the station windows using 35 mm film and a 400 mm lens. The view includes the area stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge in the north to the San Mateo Bridge on the southeast.
In the full-resolution version major landmarks are easily distinguished, and wider streets such as Van Ness and Geary can be easily distinguished from the less distinct grid of smaller streets. Digitized from film at high resolution, each pixel in this image represents 14.6 m on the ground.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Skyraider22
The One and Only Big Daddy
It looks like an island from that view:thumbsup:
Evaporation Ponds, Salar de Atacama, Chile
The Salar de Atacama in Chile is an enclosed basin with no drainage outlets. (Salar is Spanish for “salt flat.”) The salar is located in the southern half of the Atacama Desert; with no historical or current records of rainfall in some parts of this desert, it is considered to be one of the driest places on Earth.
While the grey-brown surface of the salar is flat and desiccated, mineral-rich brines—water with a high percentage of dissolved salts—are located below the surface. The subsurface brines of the Salar de Atacama are particularly rich in lithium salts. Lithium is an essential component of advanced batteries and medicines.
The brines are pumped to the surface through a network of wells and into large, shallow evaporation ponds; three such evaporation facilities are visible in the center of the image. Color variations in the ponds are due to varying amounts of salts relative to water. The dry and windy climate enhances evaporation of the water, leaving concentrated salts behind for extraction of the lithium.
This astronaut photograph illustrates the central portion of the Salar de Atacama. It is bounded by brown to grey-brown folded and faulted rock layers of the Cordillera de la Sal to the northwest (image upper left) and darker bedrock of the Cordón de Lila to the south (image lower right).
Click thumbnail below for full size image
The Salar de Atacama in Chile is an enclosed basin with no drainage outlets. (Salar is Spanish for “salt flat.”) The salar is located in the southern half of the Atacama Desert; with no historical or current records of rainfall in some parts of this desert, it is considered to be one of the driest places on Earth.
While the grey-brown surface of the salar is flat and desiccated, mineral-rich brines—water with a high percentage of dissolved salts—are located below the surface. The subsurface brines of the Salar de Atacama are particularly rich in lithium salts. Lithium is an essential component of advanced batteries and medicines.
The brines are pumped to the surface through a network of wells and into large, shallow evaporation ponds; three such evaporation facilities are visible in the center of the image. Color variations in the ponds are due to varying amounts of salts relative to water. The dry and windy climate enhances evaporation of the water, leaving concentrated salts behind for extraction of the lithium.
This astronaut photograph illustrates the central portion of the Salar de Atacama. It is bounded by brown to grey-brown folded and faulted rock layers of the Cordillera de la Sal to the northwest (image upper left) and darker bedrock of the Cordón de Lila to the south (image lower right).
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Skyraider22
The One and Only Big Daddy
Evaporation Ponds, Salar de Atacama, Chile
The Salar de Atacama in Chile is an enclosed basin with no drainage outlets. (Salar is Spanish for “salt flat.”) The salar is located in the southern half of the Atacama Desert; with no historical or current records of rainfall in some parts of this desert, it is considered to be one of the driest places on Earth.
While the grey-brown surface of the salar is flat and desiccated, mineral-rich brines—water with a high percentage of dissolved salts—are located below the surface. The subsurface brines of the Salar de Atacama are particularly rich in lithium salts. Lithium is an essential component of advanced batteries and medicines.
The brines are pumped to the surface through a network of wells and into large, shallow evaporation ponds; three such evaporation facilities are visible in the center of the image. Color variations in the ponds are due to varying amounts of salts relative to water. The dry and windy climate enhances evaporation of the water, leaving concentrated salts behind for extraction of the lithium.
This astronaut photograph illustrates the central portion of the Salar de Atacama. It is bounded by brown to grey-brown folded and faulted rock layers of the Cordillera de la Sal to the northwest (image upper left) and darker bedrock of the Cordón de Lila to the south (image lower right).
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Good lookin' picture:thumbsup:
Giens Peninsula, France
This detailed astronaut photograph shows the Giens Peninsula, located along the Mediterranean coastline of France. The peninsula is part of the Côte d’Azur, also known as the French Riviera. The coastal region is bounded by the Rhône River to the west, the Rhône Alps to the north, and the Italian border to the east. The peninsula extends southwards from the city of Hyères to the resort community of Giens.
The Giens Peninsula is formed from two tombolos. A tombolo is a ridge of beach material (typically sand), built by wave action, that connects an island to the mainland. Tombolos, like many coastal features, typically change dramatically over geologic time due to fluctuating sediment supply, coastal currents, sea levels and storm events. The tombolos of the Giens Peninsula have been modified by human activities, as well, including sand dune removal, construction of roadways, and replacement of the original sand by other materials. The long-term survival of these tombolos will be determined by the effects of these changes on the natural coastal processes, with potential sea level rise presenting an additional threat.
In addition to Giens, three other urban areas are visible in this image: Carqueiranne, Hyères, and La Londe-les-Maures. The urban areas are recognizable by both light pink rooftops and grey street grids. These colors contrast with green to brown vegetated areas, including agricultural fields between Hyères and La Londe-les-Maures and more natural vegetation (dark green) on hills between Hyères and Carqueiranne. Small white dots and streaks in the Mediterranean Sea are yachts and other recreational boats.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
This detailed astronaut photograph shows the Giens Peninsula, located along the Mediterranean coastline of France. The peninsula is part of the Côte d’Azur, also known as the French Riviera. The coastal region is bounded by the Rhône River to the west, the Rhône Alps to the north, and the Italian border to the east. The peninsula extends southwards from the city of Hyères to the resort community of Giens.
The Giens Peninsula is formed from two tombolos. A tombolo is a ridge of beach material (typically sand), built by wave action, that connects an island to the mainland. Tombolos, like many coastal features, typically change dramatically over geologic time due to fluctuating sediment supply, coastal currents, sea levels and storm events. The tombolos of the Giens Peninsula have been modified by human activities, as well, including sand dune removal, construction of roadways, and replacement of the original sand by other materials. The long-term survival of these tombolos will be determined by the effects of these changes on the natural coastal processes, with potential sea level rise presenting an additional threat.
In addition to Giens, three other urban areas are visible in this image: Carqueiranne, Hyères, and La Londe-les-Maures. The urban areas are recognizable by both light pink rooftops and grey street grids. These colors contrast with green to brown vegetated areas, including agricultural fields between Hyères and La Londe-les-Maures and more natural vegetation (dark green) on hills between Hyères and Carqueiranne. Small white dots and streaks in the Mediterranean Sea are yachts and other recreational boats.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Skyraider22
The One and Only Big Daddy
Now that is a different look for France very intresting:thumbsup:
Mangroves, Dunes, and Desert on Baja California
Along the west coast of Baja California, roughly one third of the peninsula’s length from its southern tip, the land pokes westward like a slightly bent elbow. The area is a combination of sparsely vegetated desert, sand dunes, mangroves, braided streams, shallow coastal waters, and mountainous islands.
In this astronaut photograph, taken from a vantage point west of the peninsula, north is toward the upper left. Toward the east, the desert appears in shades of tan and beige. Blue-green mangroves infiltrate the desert, following irregular paths toward the northeast. Within these mangroves, deep blue streams and rivers form and flow toward the shallow waters near the coast.
Along the Pacific shore (image lower left), breaking waves form an irregular white line. The waves are barely lighter than the sand dunes of the broad coastal plain, which stretches inland toward the mangroves. West of the mangroves, two islands rise above the ocean surface. Their rugged topography contrasts sharply with that of the thin, curving barrier beach that connects them.
Almost completely surrounded by ocean, the coastal town of Puerto San Carlos serves as a base for tourists visiting the area to watch whales. Grey whale migration season—January through March—brings both cetaceans and tourists to the area.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Along the west coast of Baja California, roughly one third of the peninsula’s length from its southern tip, the land pokes westward like a slightly bent elbow. The area is a combination of sparsely vegetated desert, sand dunes, mangroves, braided streams, shallow coastal waters, and mountainous islands.
In this astronaut photograph, taken from a vantage point west of the peninsula, north is toward the upper left. Toward the east, the desert appears in shades of tan and beige. Blue-green mangroves infiltrate the desert, following irregular paths toward the northeast. Within these mangroves, deep blue streams and rivers form and flow toward the shallow waters near the coast.
Along the Pacific shore (image lower left), breaking waves form an irregular white line. The waves are barely lighter than the sand dunes of the broad coastal plain, which stretches inland toward the mangroves. West of the mangroves, two islands rise above the ocean surface. Their rugged topography contrasts sharply with that of the thin, curving barrier beach that connects them.
Almost completely surrounded by ocean, the coastal town of Puerto San Carlos serves as a base for tourists visiting the area to watch whales. Grey whale migration season—January through March—brings both cetaceans and tourists to the area.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Glacier Outlet, Southern Patagonian Ice Field, Chile
The Southern Patagonian Ice Field of Chile and Argentina hosts a spectacular array of glaciers and associated glacial features within the southern Andes Mountains. Glaciers flowing downhill on the eastern side of the mountains have outlets into several large freshwater lakes. On the western side of the mountains, glaciers release ice into the Pacific Ocean via an intricate network of fjords. Fjords are steep valleys originally cut by glaciers during periods of lower sea level that are now inundated. As glaciers flow into the fjord, ice at the front of the glacier begins to break off and form icebergs that can float out to sea—a process known as calving.
This detailed astronaut photograph shows the merged outlet of Penguin Glacier and HPS 19 into a fjord carved into the snow-covered mountains of the southern Andes. The designation HPS stands for Hielo Patagónico Sur (Southern Patagonian Icefield) and is used to identify glaciers that have no other geographic name. Ice flowing into the fjord begins to break up at image center, forming numerous icebergs. The largest visible in this image is approximately 2 kilometers in width. The large ice masses visible at image center have a coarse granular appearance due to variable snow cover, and mixing and refreezing of ice fragments prior to floating free.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
The Southern Patagonian Ice Field of Chile and Argentina hosts a spectacular array of glaciers and associated glacial features within the southern Andes Mountains. Glaciers flowing downhill on the eastern side of the mountains have outlets into several large freshwater lakes. On the western side of the mountains, glaciers release ice into the Pacific Ocean via an intricate network of fjords. Fjords are steep valleys originally cut by glaciers during periods of lower sea level that are now inundated. As glaciers flow into the fjord, ice at the front of the glacier begins to break off and form icebergs that can float out to sea—a process known as calving.
This detailed astronaut photograph shows the merged outlet of Penguin Glacier and HPS 19 into a fjord carved into the snow-covered mountains of the southern Andes. The designation HPS stands for Hielo Patagónico Sur (Southern Patagonian Icefield) and is used to identify glaciers that have no other geographic name. Ice flowing into the fjord begins to break up at image center, forming numerous icebergs. The largest visible in this image is approximately 2 kilometers in width. The large ice masses visible at image center have a coarse granular appearance due to variable snow cover, and mixing and refreezing of ice fragments prior to floating free.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Greater Bridgetown Area, Barbados
Bridgetown is the capital city of the island nation Barbados, located to the east of the Lesser Antilles Island chain. While Barbados is considered part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located within the western Atlantic Ocean rather than the Caribbean Sea. Barbados is a member of the British Commonwealth, and considers Queen Elizabeth II to be its constitutional monarch.
Besides being the seat of government, Bridgetown is the largest city in Barbados. It and the surrounding towns that make up the Greater Bridgetown area are located along the southwestern coastline of the island. The metropolitan area is readily recognizable in this astronaut photograph due to the gray and white rooftops and street grids (image center) that contrast with green vegetated fields and riverside areas of the island’s interior to the northeast (image top center).
Bridgetown is a major port destination for both commercial and cruise ships serving the eastern Caribbean—several ships are visible within Carlisle Bay. Water color in the image changes from light blue along the coastline—indicating shallow water—to the dark blue of deeper water away from the island.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Bridgetown is the capital city of the island nation Barbados, located to the east of the Lesser Antilles Island chain. While Barbados is considered part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located within the western Atlantic Ocean rather than the Caribbean Sea. Barbados is a member of the British Commonwealth, and considers Queen Elizabeth II to be its constitutional monarch.
Besides being the seat of government, Bridgetown is the largest city in Barbados. It and the surrounding towns that make up the Greater Bridgetown area are located along the southwestern coastline of the island. The metropolitan area is readily recognizable in this astronaut photograph due to the gray and white rooftops and street grids (image center) that contrast with green vegetated fields and riverside areas of the island’s interior to the northeast (image top center).
Bridgetown is a major port destination for both commercial and cruise ships serving the eastern Caribbean—several ships are visible within Carlisle Bay. Water color in the image changes from light blue along the coastline—indicating shallow water—to the dark blue of deeper water away from the island.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Thunderstorms on the Brazilian Horizon
A picturesque line of thunderstorms and numerous circular cloud patterns filled the view as the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 20 crew members looked out at the limb (blue line on the horizon) of the Earth. The region shown in the astronaut photograph (top image) includes an unstable, active atmosphere forming a large area of cumulonimbus clouds in various stages of development. The crew was looking west-southwest from the Amazon Basin, along the Rio Madeira toward Bolivia when the image was taken.
The semi-circular cloud patterns near the center of the astronaut photograph may be detected in a Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) infrared satellite image of the region (bottom image, yellow rectangle) acquired about 20 minutes earlier than the astronaut photograph. The distinctive circular patterns of the clouds in the astronaut photograph are likely caused by the aging of thunderstorms. Such ring structures often form during the final stages of storms’ development as their centers collapse.
Sunglint—the mirror-like reflection of sunlight off a water surface directly back to the camera onboard the ISS—is visible on the waters of the Rio Madeira and Lago Acara in the Amazon Basin. Widespread haze over the basin gives the reflected light an orange hue. The Rio Madeira flows northward and joins the Amazon River on its path to the Atlantic Ocean. A large smoke plume near the bottom center of the image may be one source of the haze.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
A picturesque line of thunderstorms and numerous circular cloud patterns filled the view as the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 20 crew members looked out at the limb (blue line on the horizon) of the Earth. The region shown in the astronaut photograph (top image) includes an unstable, active atmosphere forming a large area of cumulonimbus clouds in various stages of development. The crew was looking west-southwest from the Amazon Basin, along the Rio Madeira toward Bolivia when the image was taken.
The semi-circular cloud patterns near the center of the astronaut photograph may be detected in a Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) infrared satellite image of the region (bottom image, yellow rectangle) acquired about 20 minutes earlier than the astronaut photograph. The distinctive circular patterns of the clouds in the astronaut photograph are likely caused by the aging of thunderstorms. Such ring structures often form during the final stages of storms’ development as their centers collapse.
Sunglint—the mirror-like reflection of sunlight off a water surface directly back to the camera onboard the ISS—is visible on the waters of the Rio Madeira and Lago Acara in the Amazon Basin. Widespread haze over the basin gives the reflected light an orange hue. The Rio Madeira flows northward and joins the Amazon River on its path to the Atlantic Ocean. A large smoke plume near the bottom center of the image may be one source of the haze.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Skyraider22
The One and Only Big Daddy
The above picture is really sweet:thumbsup:
Sand Dunes in the Tenéré Desert, Niger
This detailed astronaut photograph highlights sand dunes in the Fachi-Bilma erg (sand sea) in the central-eastern part of the Tenéré Desert. The Tenéré occupies much of southeastern Niger and is considered to be part of the larger Sahara Desert, which stretches across northern Africa. Much of the Sahara is comprised of ergs; with an area of approximately 150,000 square kilometers (57,915 square miles), the Fachi-Bilma is one of the larger sand seas.
Two major types of dunes are visible in the image. Large, roughly north-south oriented transverse dunes fill the image frame. This type of dune tends to form at roughly right angles to the dominant, northeasterly winds. The dune crests are marked in this image by darker, steeper sand accumulations that cast shadows. The lighter-toned zones between are lower, interdune “flats.” The large dunes appear to be highly symmetrical with regard to their crests. This pattern suggests that the crest sediments are coarser, preventing the formation of a steeper slip face on the downwind side of the dune by wind-driven motion of similarly sized sand grains.
This particular form of transverse dune is known as a zibar, and it is thought to form by winnowing of smaller sand grains by the wind, which leaves the coarser grains to form dune crests. A second set of thin linear dunes oriented at roughly right angles to the zibar dunes appears to be formed on the larger landforms and is therefore a younger landscape feature. These dunes appear to be forming from finer grains in the same wind field as the larger zibars.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
This detailed astronaut photograph highlights sand dunes in the Fachi-Bilma erg (sand sea) in the central-eastern part of the Tenéré Desert. The Tenéré occupies much of southeastern Niger and is considered to be part of the larger Sahara Desert, which stretches across northern Africa. Much of the Sahara is comprised of ergs; with an area of approximately 150,000 square kilometers (57,915 square miles), the Fachi-Bilma is one of the larger sand seas.
Two major types of dunes are visible in the image. Large, roughly north-south oriented transverse dunes fill the image frame. This type of dune tends to form at roughly right angles to the dominant, northeasterly winds. The dune crests are marked in this image by darker, steeper sand accumulations that cast shadows. The lighter-toned zones between are lower, interdune “flats.” The large dunes appear to be highly symmetrical with regard to their crests. This pattern suggests that the crest sediments are coarser, preventing the formation of a steeper slip face on the downwind side of the dune by wind-driven motion of similarly sized sand grains.
This particular form of transverse dune is known as a zibar, and it is thought to form by winnowing of smaller sand grains by the wind, which leaves the coarser grains to form dune crests. A second set of thin linear dunes oriented at roughly right angles to the zibar dunes appears to be formed on the larger landforms and is therefore a younger landscape feature. These dunes appear to be forming from finer grains in the same wind field as the larger zibars.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Sarychev Peak Eruption, Kuril Islands
A fortuitous orbit of the International Space Station allowed the astronauts this striking view of Sarychev Volcano (Kuril Islands, northeast of Japan) in an early stage of eruption on June 12, 2009. Sarychev Peak is one of the most active volcanoes in the Kuril Island chain, and it is located on the northwestern end of Matua Island. Prior to June 12, the last explosive eruption occurred in 1989, with eruptions in 1986, 1976, 1954, and 1946 also producing lava flows. Ash from the multi-day eruption has been detected 2,407 kilometers east-southeast and 926 kilometers west-northwest of the volcano, and commercial airline flights are being diverted away from the region to minimize the danger of engine failures from ash intake.
This detailed astronaut photograph is exciting to volcanologists because it captures several phenomena that occur during the earliest stages of an explosive volcanic eruption. The main column is one of a series of plumes that rose above Matua Island on June 12. The plume appears to be a combination of brown ash and white steam. The vigorously rising plume gives the steam a bubble-like appearance.
In contrast, the smooth white cloud on top may be water condensation that resulted from rapid rising and cooling of the air mass above the ash column. This cloud, which meteorologists call a pileus cloud, is probably a transient feature: the eruption plume is starting to punch through. The structure also indicates that little to no shearing wind was present at the time to disrupt the plume. (Satellite images acquired 2-3 days after the start of activity illustrate the effect of shearing winds on the spread of the ash plumes across the Pacific Ocean.)
By contrast, a cloud of denser, gray ash - probably a pyroclastic flow - appears to be hugging the ground, descending from the volcano summit. The rising eruption plume casts a shadow to the northwest of the island. Brown ash at a lower altitude of the atmosphere spreads out above the ground at image lower left. Low-level stratus clouds approach Matua Island from the east, wrapping around the lower slopes of the volcano. Only about 1.5 kilometers of the coastline of Matua Island are visible beneath the clouds and ash.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
A fortuitous orbit of the International Space Station allowed the astronauts this striking view of Sarychev Volcano (Kuril Islands, northeast of Japan) in an early stage of eruption on June 12, 2009. Sarychev Peak is one of the most active volcanoes in the Kuril Island chain, and it is located on the northwestern end of Matua Island. Prior to June 12, the last explosive eruption occurred in 1989, with eruptions in 1986, 1976, 1954, and 1946 also producing lava flows. Ash from the multi-day eruption has been detected 2,407 kilometers east-southeast and 926 kilometers west-northwest of the volcano, and commercial airline flights are being diverted away from the region to minimize the danger of engine failures from ash intake.
This detailed astronaut photograph is exciting to volcanologists because it captures several phenomena that occur during the earliest stages of an explosive volcanic eruption. The main column is one of a series of plumes that rose above Matua Island on June 12. The plume appears to be a combination of brown ash and white steam. The vigorously rising plume gives the steam a bubble-like appearance.
In contrast, the smooth white cloud on top may be water condensation that resulted from rapid rising and cooling of the air mass above the ash column. This cloud, which meteorologists call a pileus cloud, is probably a transient feature: the eruption plume is starting to punch through. The structure also indicates that little to no shearing wind was present at the time to disrupt the plume. (Satellite images acquired 2-3 days after the start of activity illustrate the effect of shearing winds on the spread of the ash plumes across the Pacific Ocean.)
By contrast, a cloud of denser, gray ash - probably a pyroclastic flow - appears to be hugging the ground, descending from the volcano summit. The rising eruption plume casts a shadow to the northwest of the island. Brown ash at a lower altitude of the atmosphere spreads out above the ground at image lower left. Low-level stratus clouds approach Matua Island from the east, wrapping around the lower slopes of the volcano. Only about 1.5 kilometers of the coastline of Matua Island are visible beneath the clouds and ash.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
Skyraider22
The One and Only Big Daddy
Sarychev Peak Eruption, Kuril Islands
A fortuitous orbit of the International Space Station allowed the astronauts this striking view of Sarychev Volcano (Kuril Islands, northeast of Japan) in an early stage of eruption on June 12, 2009. Sarychev Peak is one of the most active volcanoes in the Kuril Island chain, and it is located on the northwestern end of Matua Island. Prior to June 12, the last explosive eruption occurred in 1989, with eruptions in 1986, 1976, 1954, and 1946 also producing lava flows. Ash from the multi-day eruption has been detected 2,407 kilometers east-southeast and 926 kilometers west-northwest of the volcano, and commercial airline flights are being diverted away from the region to minimize the danger of engine failures from ash intake.
This detailed astronaut photograph is exciting to volcanologists because it captures several phenomena that occur during the earliest stages of an explosive volcanic eruption. The main column is one of a series of plumes that rose above Matua Island on June 12. The plume appears to be a combination of brown ash and white steam. The vigorously rising plume gives the steam a bubble-like appearance.
In contrast, the smooth white cloud on top may be water condensation that resulted from rapid rising and cooling of the air mass above the ash column. This cloud, which meteorologists call a pileus cloud, is probably a transient feature: the eruption plume is starting to punch through. The structure also indicates that little to no shearing wind was present at the time to disrupt the plume. (Satellite images acquired 2-3 days after the start of activity illustrate the effect of shearing winds on the spread of the ash plumes across the Pacific Ocean.)
By contrast, a cloud of denser, gray ash - probably a pyroclastic flow - appears to be hugging the ground, descending from the volcano summit. The rising eruption plume casts a shadow to the northwest of the island. Brown ash at a lower altitude of the atmosphere spreads out above the ground at image lower left. Low-level stratus clouds approach Matua Island from the east, wrapping around the lower slopes of the volcano. Only about 1.5 kilometers of the coastline of Matua Island are visible beneath the clouds and ash.
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Talk about timing great shot
Smoke Plumes over Concepcion, Chile, Following Large Earthquake
This detailed astronaut photograph of the Chilean cities of Concepción and Hualpén was acquired from the International Space Station approximately seven hours after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake occurred offshore 115 kilometers (71 miles) to the north-northeast. Much of the Chilean coastline is located above the boundary between the converging Nazca and South American tectonic plates. This type of plate boundary is known as a subduction zone. Such zones frequently experience moderate to strong earthquakes as one tectonic plate overrides the other. The largest earthquake worldwide during the past 200 years (magnitude 9.5 in May 1960) had a source region approximately 230 kilometers (140 miles) north of the February 27 quake.
While the image is not detailed enough to see damage to individual buildings or roadways, some indicators of earthquake damage are visible, especially in the large version of the image. A dark smoke plume is visible at image lower left near an oil refinery in Hualpén. At image lower right, parts of the road bed of a single-lane bridge over the Río Biobío appear to have collapsed. A smaller, white smoke plume is visible at image right near the Universidad de Concepción. Smoke, probably related to the earthquake, was observed over Santiago in images acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite less than one hour after this astronaut photograph was taken.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
This detailed astronaut photograph of the Chilean cities of Concepción and Hualpén was acquired from the International Space Station approximately seven hours after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake occurred offshore 115 kilometers (71 miles) to the north-northeast. Much of the Chilean coastline is located above the boundary between the converging Nazca and South American tectonic plates. This type of plate boundary is known as a subduction zone. Such zones frequently experience moderate to strong earthquakes as one tectonic plate overrides the other. The largest earthquake worldwide during the past 200 years (magnitude 9.5 in May 1960) had a source region approximately 230 kilometers (140 miles) north of the February 27 quake.
While the image is not detailed enough to see damage to individual buildings or roadways, some indicators of earthquake damage are visible, especially in the large version of the image. A dark smoke plume is visible at image lower left near an oil refinery in Hualpén. At image lower right, parts of the road bed of a single-lane bridge over the Río Biobío appear to have collapsed. A smaller, white smoke plume is visible at image right near the Universidad de Concepción. Smoke, probably related to the earthquake, was observed over Santiago in images acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite less than one hour after this astronaut photograph was taken.
Click thumbnail below for full size image
roronoa3000
Banned
Just like NASA to look down on everybody else.
*Rimshot*
*Rimshot*
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