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Valley of the Kings, Southern Egypt (October 1988)

STS026-041-058

Arid landforms comprise much of this nearly vertical view of a portion of the Nile River. These desert landforms include eroded valleys and wadis (watercourses). The fertile and highly productive green Nile River Valley stands out in marked contrast to the tan desert landscape on either side. This part of the Nile Valley varies in width from 4 to 9 miles (6 to 14 kilometers). Near the southern edge of this photograph, the city of Luxor can be ascertained along the eastern bank of the Nile. The narrow, linear runways of the airport are visible on the edge of the desert east of the city. This particular bend in the Nile River is the home of many historical points of interest—Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Temple of Luxor, Tomb of Tutankhamen, and Necropolis of Thebes.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (August 1989)

STS028-072-044

The dynamic infrastructure of the industrial and economic center for British Columbia, the port city of Vancouver, with more than 1.6 million residents, is revealed in this closeup photograph. The Fraser River produces two peninsulas and two large islands that comprise the greater Vancouver metropolitan area. The northern peninsula shows the dense grid street pattern that constitutes the downtown commercial district and surrounding residential areas. Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island, the small island south of downtown. Lulu Island (Richmond area), the largest island, has a dense residential and commercial area along the coast, and large cultivated fields are found toward the eastern part of the island. Toward the end of the large peninsula south of Lulu Island, generally known as the Delta area, is an undeveloped, heavily vegetated area (dark area). Large cultivated field patterns and the dark, undeveloped area jutting out from the southwest coast of the Delta are two linear manmade features—the north facility is a superport terminal for oceangoing vessels, and the south facility is a ferry terminal for the numerous ferries linking the mainland with Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. The 49th parallel, the United States-Canada border, bisects the smaller peninsula south of the ferry terminals; the southern half of the peninsula actually belongs to the United States. (Refer to STS-028-071-016 for a synoptic view of the physical setting of the greater Vancouver area.)

Volcanic Ahmar Mountains, Ethiopia (February 1984)

The East African Rift Valley extends generally northeast-southwest through the midsection of Ethiopia. The extreme eastern fringe of this graben valley just east of Lake Ziway is visible along the western margin of the photograph. The entire scene, including the visually imposing volcanic mountains, is almost in the geographic center of Ethiopia. The elongated volcanic mountainous structure has several peaks that exceed 12 000 feet (3660 meters), and the circular volcano to the west with its radial drainage pattern reaches an elevation of 13 140 feet (4005 meters) above sea level. The major drainage pattern on the eastern flank of the elongated mountain flows through deep and tortuous gorges as the water heads for the deserts of Somalia. Several smoke plumes rise from the forested slopes of the mountains. Burning is probably occurring to clear more land for subsistence agriculture, which is practiced in this region.

800 DPI

Volcano Klyuchevskaya (Full Eruption), Russia (October 1994)

STS068-214-043

On October 1, 1994, Space Shuttle astronauts successfully took a series of photographs of Klyuchevskaya Volcano erupting near the east-central coast of Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. This southeast-looking photograph was made as the spacecraft was approaching the volcano from the west. The dark, ash-laden plume rose to an estimated altitude of 6 to 9 miles (10 to 14 kilometers) and drifted southeast of the volcano. Both lava and ash explosions occurred during this eruption. Klyuchevskaya Volcano is reported to be Kamchatka’s highest [15 584 feet (4750 meters) above sea level] and most active volcano. Small steam or ash plumes are also visible from subsidiary vents or craters immediately south of the major eruption zone. Other snow-covered stratovolcanoes appear in this complex cluster of volcanoes. The Kamchatka River Valley is seen in the foreground—first as it flows northward, then as it flows eastward, finally emptying into Kamchatka Bay. The blue waters of the Bering Sea are off the east coast of Kamchatka Peninsula. (Refer to photograph STS068-273-033, which was taken on October 3, 1994, just 2 days after the major eruption occurred, for a near-vertical view of this volcanic complex.)

Volcano Klyuchevskaya, Russia (October 1994)

STS068-273-033

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. (Refer to STS-068-214-043 for an oblique view of the erupting volcano on October 1, 1994.)

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