The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of the Yucatán Peninsula on Feb. 3, 2022. At the center is Belize, a country whose Caribbean coast is home to the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, which encompasses a vibrant network of marine environments that supports thousands of animal and plant species and drives Belize's largest industry, tourism. The barrier reef system is among about 1,200 UNESCO World Heritage sites around the world. In a paper published in November 2022 in Frontiers in Remote Sensing, researchers used data from Aqua MODIS to rank 24 protected marine areas off the Belizean coast based on the risks coral face from murky water and rising temperatures. The research also outlined how researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and counterparts in Belize used free, cloud-based data on Google Earth Engine in their analysis. Analyzing imagery from 2002 to 2022, researchers developed a coral vulnerability index – a score between 2 and 12 that characterizes the risk to coral, with higher scores signifying greater risk. Their findings could help management authorities protect the reefs from human impacts such as development, overfishing, pollution, and climate change. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25861

The Great Barrier Reef extends for 2,000 kilometers along the northeastern coast of Australia. It is not a single reef, but a vast maze of reefs, passages, and coral cays islands that are part of the reef.

STS032-520-014 (9-20 Jan. 1990) --- STS-32 astronauts took this 70mm scene showing phytoplankton oralgal bloom in the northwest Coral Sea. The Western Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef waters offshore Queensland, Australia are the sites of some of the larger concentrations or "blooms" of phytoplankton and algae in the open ocean. In the instance illustrated here, the leading edge of a probable concentration of algae or phytoplankton is seen as a light irregular line and sheen between the offshore Great Barrier Reef and the Queensland coast. Previous phytoplankton concentrations in this area have been reported by ships at sea as having formed floating mats as thick as two meters. This picture was used by the STS-32 astronauts at their Jan. 30, 1990 post-flight press conference.

In this image, taken by NASA Terra spacecraft, six marine clusters represent the main diversity of coral reefs and associated ecosystems in the French Pacific Ocean archipelago of New Caledonia.

STS093-717-066 (23-27 July 1999) --- The STS-93 astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia took this picture featuring the Society Islands. Delicate coral reefs ring the islands of Bora Bora (top), Tahaa (center) and Raiatea (bottom). The Society Islands, which also include the island of Tahiti, are one of many archipelagoes that constitute French Polynesia in the central South Pacific. When the photo was taken, the shuttle was flying over a point located at 16.2 degrees south latitude and 151.8 degrees west longitude. Data back information on the 70mm listed the time and date as 23:36:16 GMT, July 25, 1999 (Orbit 45).

ISS009-E-23808 (20 September 2004) --- A fringing coral reef in the Red Sea is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 9 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). The Sudanese coast of the Red Sea is a well known destination for divers due to clear water and abundance of coral reefs (or “shia’ab” in Arabic). According to NASA scientists studying the ISS imagery, reefs are formed primarily from precipitation of calcium carbonate by corals; massive reef structures are built over thousands of years of succeeding generations of coral. In the Red Sea, fringing reefs form on shallow shelves of less than 50 meters depth along the coastline. This photograph illustrates the intricate morphology of the reef system located along the coast between Port Sudan to the northwest and the Tokar River delta to the southeast. Close to shore, fringing reefs border the coastline. Farther offshore grows a larger, more complicated barrier reef structure. Different parts of the reef structure show up as variable shades of light blue. Deeper water channels (darker blue) define the boundaries for individual reefs within the greater barrier reef system. Such a complex pattern of reefs may translate into greater ecosystem diversity through a wide variety of local reef environments.

Heron Island is located in Queensland, Australia, approximately 45 miles (72 kilometers) off the Australian mainland, to the northeast of Gladstone. Part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the island is an evergreen coral cay surrounded by Wistari coral reef. Although just 42 acres in size, the island is home to a large resort and the University of Queensland's Heron Island Research Station. The island is famous for diving and snorkeling and is a World Heritage-Listed Marine National Park. It is one of two locations on the Great Barrier Reef that are serving as bases for in-water validation activities for NASA's Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL) mission, which is studying the condition and function of the Great Barrier Reef and selected reef systems worldwide using NASA's airborne Portable Remote Imaging Spectrometer (PRISM) instrument from an altitude of 28,000 feet (8,500 meters). The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft acquired this image of Heron Island and its surroundings on December 22, 2001. The island appears at the left of the reef (Heron Reef) in the center of the image. Vegetation is red on the image. The image covers an area of 10.3 by 18.6 miles (16.5 by 30.0 kilometers), and is located at 23.5 degrees south, 151.9 degrees east. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20900

STS009-46-1856 (28 Nov-8 Dec 1983) --- East of the Australian state of Queensland lies the worlds largest reef. The Great Barrier Reef. A portion of the reef is seen. Although beautiful from space, coral reefs, channels, etc?, has long confounded navigators, mapmakers, and oceanographers.

iss070e025882 (Nov. 15, 2023) --- Looking southwest over the Far North region of Queensland, Australia, is the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria on the other side of the Far North.

In a paper published in November 2022 in Frontiers in Remote Sensing, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with colleagues in Belize, used data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite to rank 24 protected marine areas off the Belizean coast based on the risks coral face from murky water and rising temperatures. All the areas are part of the 185-mile-long (298-kilometer-long) Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, which encompasses a vibrant network of marine environments that supports thousands of animal and plant species and drives the Central American country's largest industry, tourism. The system is one of about 1,200 UNESCO World Heritage sites around the world. Analyzing imagery from 2002 to 2022, researchers developed a coral vulnerability index – a score between 2 and 12 that characterizes the risk to coral, with higher scores signifying greater risk. Their findings could help management authorities protect the reefs from human impacts such as development, overfishing, pollution, and climate change. Port Honduras Marine Reserve, a 156-square-mile (40,000-hectare) protected area in southern Belize, showed the highest coral vulnerability score: 10 out of 12. Based on the index, the study flags Port Honduras, Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary, Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve, and Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary as areas for concern. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25862

STS008-32-748 (30 Aug-5 Sept 1983) --- Bora-Bora, with its wide-fringing reef, stands out in the center of this photographed, taken over the Society Island chain from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger on its third spaceflight. In the upper left corner are the islands of Raiatea and Tahaa. The ancient volcano islands are very slowly sinking into the oceanic crust, while coral growth maintains a reef platform.

ISS010-E-09287 (3 December 2004) --- Howland Island, Oceania is featured in this digital image photographed by an Expedition 10 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). Howland Island is a United States possession located in the north Pacific between Australia and the Hawaiian Islands. Prior to 1890, organic nitrate (guano) was mined from the island by both the United States and the British. This tiny island is currently part of the US National Wildlife Refuge system, and provides nesting areas and forage for a variety of birds and marine wildlife. The island is composed of coral fragments and is surrounded by an active fringing reef. White breakers encircling the island indicate the position of the reef. Astronauts aboard the Space Station photograph numerous reefs around the world as part of a global mapping and monitoring program. High-resolution images such as this one are used to update geographic maps of reefs and islands, assess the health of reef ecosystems, and calculate bathymetry of the surrounding ocean bottom.

iss071e378497 (July 21, 2024) -- The Quirimbas Islands lie in the western Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique. The archipelago consists of 32 islands, partially linked to the coastline by coral reefs, mangroves, and sand bars. As the International Space Station orbited 262 miles above, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick captured this photo.

iss071e009021 (April 15, 2024) -- The Zapata Peninsula on the southern coast of Cuba is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited nearly 260 miles above. Both a Biosphere Reserve and National Park, it's home to diverse ecosystems, including coral reefs in the cove of the Caribbean Sea.

STS048-151-250 (12-18 Sept. 1991) --- The Great Barrier Reef extends for roughly 2,000 kilometers along the northeast coast of Australia. The great Barrier Reef is made up of thousands of individual reefs which define the edge of the continental shelf. The southern part of the feature, called Swain Reef, is seen here. Water depths around the reefs are quite shallow (less than 1 meter to about 36 meters in depth), but only a few kilometers offshore, water depths are roughly 1,000 meters.

ISS024-E-011914 (13 Aug. 2010) --- Mataiva Atoll, Tuamotu Archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 24 crew member on the International Space Station. The Tuamotu Archipelago is part of French Polynesia, and forms the largest chain of atolls in the world. This photograph features Mataiva Atoll, the westernmost atoll of the Tuamotu chain. An atoll is a ring-shaped island that encloses a central lagoon. This distinctive morphology is usually associated with oceanic islands formed by volcanoes; coral reefs become established around the partially submerged volcanic cone. Over geologic time the central volcano becomes extinct, followed by erosion and subsidence beneath the sea surface, leaving the coral reefs as a ring around (or cap on) the submerged island remnant. Coral reefs exposed above the sea surface in turn experience erosion, sedimentation and soil formation, leading to the establishment of vegetation and complex ecosystems – including in many cases human habitation. Mataiva Atoll is notable in that its central lagoon includes a network of ridges (white, center) and small basins formed from eroded coral reefs. Mataiva means “nine eyes” in Tuamotuan, an allusion to nine narrow channels on the south-central portion of the island. The atoll is sparsely populated, with only a single village – Pahua – located on either side of the only pass providing constant connection between the shallow (light blue) water of the lagoon and the deeper (dark blue) adjacent Pacific Ocean. Much of the 10 kilometer-long atoll is covered with forest (greenish brown); vanilla and copra (dried coconut) are major exports from the atoll, but tourism is becoming a greater economic factor.

ISS018-E-024351 (27 Jan. 2009) --- Tetiaroa Island in French Polynesia is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 18 crewmember on the International Space Station. This island, part of the Society Islands archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean, is also known as ?Marlon Brando?s Island?. The late film star purchased the island ? more correctly, an atoll comprised of thirteen small islets (or motus) from the French Polynesian government for a total of 70,000 over 1966-1967. While the motus were his property, the government retained the rights to the coral reefs and lagoons to preserve control of marine resources. Following Brando?s death in 2004, ownership of the approximately 8 kilometers?wide atoll passed into other private hands, and there are now plans to build a luxury resort amongst the islets. This view illustrates the typical circular appearance of a fully-developed atoll. The ring of islands ? covered in green vegetation and white to tan sandy beaches ? develops on coral reefs, which originally form around a volcanic island. As the volcanic island gradually disappears due to subsidence and erosion, the coral reefs continue to grow upwards. Over time, the central volcanic island is completely submerged, leaving a ring of coral reefs and islands that surround a lagoon. The shallow lagoon waters appear blue-green in this image, and contrast with darker ? and deeper ? Pacific Ocean waters surrounding the atoll. One of the motus in the southern portion of the atoll, Tahuna Rahi, is a protected bird sanctuary, and is the nesting site of red- and brown-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and terns (among other species). Access to the atoll is via boat, as the airstrip was closed in 2004 due to safety and security concerns.

ISS020-E-016279 (1 July 2009) --- Millennium Island is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 20 crew member on the International Space Station. Millennium Island ? known as Caroline Island prior to 2000 ? is located at the southern end of the Line Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. This uninhabited island is part of the Republic of Kiribati, an island nation comprised of 32 atolls (including Millennium Island) and one raised coral island. Millennium Island is formed from a number of smaller islets built on coral reefs. The coral reefs grew around a now-submerged volcanic peak, leaving a ring of coral around an inner lagoon. The islands above the waterline are composed primarily of limestone rock and sand derived from the reefs. At a maximum height of approximately 6 m above sea level, Millennium Island has been identified as being at great risk from sea level rise by the United Nations. The islets of Millennium Island are readily visible in this photograph as irregular green vegetated areas surrounding the inner lagoon. The shallow lagoon waters are a lighter blue than the deeper surrounding ocean water; tan linear ?fingers? within the lagoon are the tops of corals. The two largest islets are Nake Islet and South Islet, located at the north and south ends of Millennium Island respectively. The ecosystem of Millennium Island is considered to be relatively pristine despite periods of human habitation, guano mining, and agricultural activities, and the island has been recommended as both a World Heritage site and Biosphere Reserve.

S129-E-007324 (21 Nov. 2009) --- One of the crew members onboard the space shuttle Atlantis recorded this still image of the Bahamas' lengthy narrow Eleuthra Island. Like most of the Bahama Islands, Eleuthra is composed mainly of limestone and coral, and rises from a vast submarine plateau. The island, 80 miles (133 kilometers) long, about two miles (three kilometers) wide and covering an area of 164 square miles (425 square kilometers), is generally low and flat, has many mangrove swamps, brackish lakes, coral reefs and shoals, and many miles of sandy beaches.

ISS016-E-019394 (30 Dec. 2007) --- Al Wadj Bank, Saudi Arabia is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 16 crewmember on the International Space Station. Saudi Arabia boasts the most coral reefs of any Middle Eastern country, as it includes coastline along both the Red Sea and Gulf of Arabia. This high resolution image depicts a portion of the Al Wadj Bank, located along the northern Red Sea coast. Despite the relatively high salinity of Red Sea water (compared to other oceans), approximately 260 species of coral are found here, according to scientists. Large tracts of the Saudi Arabian coastline are undeveloped, and reefs in these areas are in generally good ecological health. However, reefs located near large urban centers like Jeddeh have suffered degradation due to land reclamation, pollution, and increased terrigeneous sediment input. The Al Wadj Bank includes a healthy and diverse reef system, extensive seagrass beds, and perhaps the largest population of dugong -- a marine mammal similar to the North American manatee -- in the eastern Red Sea. The portion of the Bank in this image illustrates the complex form and topography of the reef system. Several emergent islands (tan) - surrounded primarily by dark green seagrass - are visible, the largest located at top left. Only the islands are above the waterline -- over the reef structures the water color ranges from light teal (shallow) to turquoise (increasing depth). The southern edge of the reef is well indicated by the deep, dark blue water of the Red Sea at image top.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A view from inside the pilot house of the Liberty Star overlooks the stern where a team secures lines to underwater research equipment being used on an expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks. The banks are a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. The equipment includes an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS), originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A view inside the pilot house of the Liberty Star. The ship is taking part in an undersea expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks. The banks are a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. The equipment includes an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS), originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Reed, co-principal investigator, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, points to the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. A team of scientists will deploy an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS), on an undersea expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks. The PAMS was originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries and will take place onboard the Liberty Star. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Underwater equipment is checked on the deck of the Liberty Star, which will be the site of an undersea expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. A team of scientists will deploy an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS), originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Underwater research equipment is prepared for immersion from the Liberty Star, the NASA Space Shuttle support ship operated by United Space Alliance. It is being used on an undersea expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. The equipment includes an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS), originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Underwater research equipment slowly sinks into the water. An undersea expedition is underway to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. The equipment includes an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS), originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries and will take place onboard the Liberty Star. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Pictured is equipment that will be used on an undersea expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. Scientists on the team will be deploying an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS). Dr. Grant Gilmore was co-principle investigator of the PAMS, originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries and will take place onboard the Liberty Star. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dr. Grant Gilmore sits alongside some of the equipment that will be used on an undersea expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. Scientists on the team will be deploying an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS). Gilmore is co-principle investigator of the PAMS, originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries and will take place onboard the Liberty Star. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Pictured is a piece of equipment that will be used on an undersea expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. Scientists on the team will be deploying an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS). Dr. Grant Gilmore was co-principle investigator of the PAMS, originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries and will take place onboard the Liberty Star. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A team onboard the Liberty Star, the NASA Space Shuttle support ship operated by United Space Alliance, get ready to lower underwater research equipment into the water. An undersea expedition is underway to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. The equipment includes an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS), originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Underwater equipment sits on the deck of the Liberty Star, which will be the site of an undersea expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. A team of scientists will deploy an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS), originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Liberty Star makes its way along the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. The ship is taking part in an undersea expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks. Equipment being used for the research includes an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS), originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

STS072-727-085 (11-20 Jan. 1996) --- The northern third of the Great Barrier Reef stretches 650 kilometers (km) along the coast of Queensland from south of Cairns to past Princess Charlotte Bay at the base of the Cape York Peninsula. The predominant westerly waves of the ocean create shallower (lighter-colored) convex-eastward rims to coral atolls along the outer edge of the barrier reef. In contrast, islands within the lagoon show the effect of predominant southerly, more-or-less offshore winds. Arcuate clouds suggest that winds were offshore at the time the photograph was taken.

NASA image acquired May 10, 2001 In July 2008, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added 27 new areas to its list of World Heritage sites. One of those areas included the lagoons of New Caledonia. Some 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) east of Australia, this French-governed archipelago contains the world’s third-largest coral reef structure. The coral reefs enclose the waters near the islands in shallow lagoons of impressive biodiversity. On May 10, 2001, the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus on NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite captured this image of Île Balabio, off the northern tip of Grande Terra, New Caledonia’s main island. In this natural-color image, the islands appear in shades of green and brown—mixtures of vegetation and bare ground. The surrounding waters range in color from pale aquamarine to deep blue, and the color differences result from varying depths. Over coral reef ridges and sand bars, the water is shallowest and palest in color. Darker shades of blue characterize deeper waters. Reef-enclosed, shallow waters surround Île Balabio, and a larger, semi-enclosed lagoon appears immediately east of that island. Immediately north of Grande Terra, unenclosed, deeper waters predominate. The coral reefs around New Caledonia support an unusual diversity of species, including large numbers of predators and big fish, turtles, and the world’s third-largest dugong population. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data provided by the United States Geological Survey. Caption by Michon Scott. Instrument: Landsat 7 - ETM+ Credit: NASA/GSFC/Landsat <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Join us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b>

Great Barrier Reef - August 8th, 1999 Description: What might be mistaken for dinosaur bones being unearthed at a paleontological dig are some of the individual reefs that make up the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest tropical coral reef system. The reef stretches more than 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) along the coast of Queensland, Australia. It supports astoundingly complex and diverse communities of marine life and is the largest structure on the planet built by living organisms. Credit: USGS/NASA/Landsat 7 To learn more about the Landsat satellite go to: <a href="http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow">landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/</a> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Join us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b>

AS07-07-1774 (15 Oct. 1968) --- Red Sea coastal area of Saudi Arabia as seen from the Apollo 7 spacecraft during its 58th revolution of Earth. This picture shows extent of coral reefs in the Red Sea. Photographed from an altitude of 88 nautical miles, at ground elapsed time of 91 hours and 17 minutes.

ISS042eE01551 (01/06/2015) --- NASA astronaut Terry Virts tweeted this night image out with the twinkling city lights of the coast of India and the Maldives. The Maldives is a tropical nation in the Indian Ocean composed of 26 coral atolls, which stretch for hundreds of islands. It’s known for its beaches, blue lagoons and extensive reefs. Terry tweeted this comment along with the image: " Moonlit clouds over southeast #India coastline, with Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad."

The light blue shallow water platforms of the Bahamas, (24.0N, 77.0W) which are separated by very deep dark blue channels make for a striking scene. In the foreground is Andros Island and in the background are the Tongue of the Ocean, the Exuma Islands, Exuma Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. The Bahamas are one of the few regions where calcium carbonate precipitates directly out of the water, as the mineral aragonite, to form the coral reef islands.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sonar mapping equipment lies on the deck of the Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships. The equipment will be attached to the ship's hull for an eight-day expedition surveying deep-water coral reefs on the Oculina Banks off eastern Florida. NASA joins the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other ocean scientists for the sophisticated mapping system that will provide the first high-resolution, three-dimensional map of the Oculina Banks. The survey results are expected to guide another expedition in Spring 2003, using NASA's ship, when the reef fish spawn. Also used will be NASA's underwater robot and an acoustic hydrophone system for listening to fish and vessel noise. Dive sites will be chosen based on the new charts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A diver helps lower sonar mapping equipment into the water alongside the Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships. The equipment will be attached to the ship's hull for an eight-day expedition surveying deep-water coral reefs on the Oculina Banks off eastern Florida. NASA joins the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other ocean scientists for the sophisticated mapping system that will provide the first high-resolution, three-dimensional map of the Oculina Banks. The survey results are expected to guide another expedition in Spring 2003, using NASA's ship, when the reef fish spawn. Also used will be NASA's underwater robot and an acoustic hydrophone system for listening to fish and vessel noise. Dive sites will be chosen based on the new charts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Andrew Shepard, expedition leader, National Undersea Research Center, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, N. Car., poses on deck of the Liberty Star with some of the equipment to be used in the Oculina Banks project. The ship will be the site of an undersea expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. He and other scientists will be deploying an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS). Dr. Grant Gilmore was co-principle investigator of the PAMS, originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers on the deck of the Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, help guide sonar mapping equipment toward the side of the ship. The equipment will be attached to the ship's hull for an eight-day expedition surveying deep-water coral reefs on the Oculina Banks off eastern Florida. NASA joins the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other ocean scientists for the sophisticated mapping system that will provide the first high-resolution, three-dimensional map of the Oculina Banks. The survey results are expected to guide another expedition in Spring 2003, using NASA's ship, when the reef fish spawn. Also used will be NASA's underwater robot and an acoustic hydrophone system for listening to fish and vessel noise. Dive sites will be chosen based on the new charts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A diver helps lower sonar mapping equipment into the water alongside the Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships. The equipment will be attached to the ship's hull for an eight-day expedition surveying deep-water coral reefs on the Oculina Banks off eastern Florida. NASA joins the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other ocean scientists for the sophisticated mapping system that will provide the first high-resolution, three-dimensional map of the Oculina Banks. The survey results are expected to guide another expedition in Spring 2003, using NASA's ship, when the reef fish spawn. Also used will be NASA's underwater robot and an acoustic hydrophone system for listening to fish and vessel noise. Dive sites will be chosen based on the new charts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers on the deck of the Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, as well as divers in the water, help lower sonar mapping equipment alongside the ship. The equipment will be attached to the ship's hull for an eight-day expedition surveying deep-water coral reefs on the Oculina Banks off eastern Florida. NASA joins the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other ocean scientists for the sophisticated mapping system that will provide the first high-resolution, three-dimensional map of the Oculina Banks. The survey results are expected to guide another expedition in Spring 2003, using NASA's ship, when the reef fish spawn. Also used will be NASA's underwater robot and an acoustic hydrophone system for listening to fish and vessel noise. Dive sites will be chosen based on the new charts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers on the deck of the Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, oversee the lifting of sonar mapping equipment from the deck toward the side of the ship. The equipment will be attached to the ship's hull for an eight-day expedition surveying deep-water coral reefs on the Oculina Banks off eastern Florida. NASA joins the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other ocean scientists for the sophisticated mapping system that will provide the first high-resolution, three-dimensional map of the Oculina Banks. The survey results are expected to guide another expedition in Spring 2003, using NASA's ship, when the reef fish spawn. Also used will be NASA's underwater robot and an acoustic hydrophone system for listening to fish and vessel noise. Dive sites will be chosen based on the new charts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - John Reed, co-principal investigator, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, checks out equipment on the Liberty Star, which will be the site of an undersea expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. He and other scientists will be deploying an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS). Dr. Grant Gilmore was co-principle investigator of the PAMS, originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Onboard the Liberty Star, the NASA Space Shuttle support ship operated by United Space Alliance, .Dr. Grant Gilmore holds some of the equipment to be used on an undersea expedition. Gilmore is co-principle investigator of the Passive Acoustic Monitoring System (PAMS), part of the equipment. NASA/KSC is participating in the expedition to characterize the condition of the deep-sea coral reefs and reef fish populations in the Oculina Banks, a marine protected area, 20 miles offshore of the east coast of Florida. Scientists on the team will be deploying an underwater robot, a seafloor sampler, and the PAMS, originally developed by NASA to monitor the impact of rocket launches on wildlife refuge lagoons at KSC. The research is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries. The ship departed from Port Canaveral April 29 and will return May 9.

ISS018-E-018129 (6 Jan. 2009) --- Atafu Atoll in the Southern Pacific Ocean is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 18 crewmember on the International Space Station. At roughly eight kilometers wide, Atafu Atoll is the smallest of three atolls (with Nukunonu and Fakaofo atolls to the southeast, not shown) comprising the Tokelau Islands group located in the southern Pacific Ocean. Swains Island to the south (not shown) is also considered part of the Tokelau group. The political entity of Tokelau is currently a territory of New Zealand. In recent years, public referendums on independence within the islands have been held, but have not received sufficient support to move forward. The primary settlement on Atafu is a village located at the northwestern corner of the atoll ? indicated by an area of light gray dots in this photograph. The typical ring shape of the atoll is the result of coral reefs building up around a former volcanic island. Over geologic time, the central volcano has subsided beneath the water surface, leaving the fringing reefs and a central lagoon that contains submerged coral reefs. Erosion and soil development on the surfaces of the exposed fringing reefs has lead to formation of tan to light brown beach deposits (southern and western sides of the atoll) and green vegetation cover (northern and eastern sides of the atoll). The Tokelau Islands, including Atafu Atoll, suffered significant inundation and erosion during Tropical Cyclone Percy in 2005. The approximate elevation of Atafu Atoll is only two meters above the tidal high water level. Vulnerability to tropical cyclones and potential sea level rise makes the long-term habitability of the atoll uncertain.

Cairns and Townsville area, on the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia (17.0S, 146.0E) is one of the best sport diving localities in the world where divers can explore the rich and varied flora and fauna of the nearby Great Barrier Reef. Onshore, the timbered foothills of the Great Dividing Range, seen as dark green areas, separate the semi arid interior of Queensland.

ISS040E112662 (08/30/2014) ---- Cancún, Mexico. A long lens was used by astronauts aboard the International Space Station to take this image, and it highlights many natural and built features. The street pattern of Mexico’s tourist mecca, Cancún, contrasts with the waterways of the marinas that open into the bay and the lagoons. Brilliant blue water over coral reefs contrast with the dark waters of inland lagoons. The reefs are the second largest reef system on Earth, and draw tourists from all over the world. The wide, well developed beach on the gulf coast (image upper right) is the result of vigorous wave energy; the white sand makes the beach easily visible from space. But wave energy is reduced along Cancún’s protected shoreline (image center) and the beaches are thin or non-existant. Fair-weather cumulus clouds are scattered across the image top left. To shoot crisp mages with long lenses, astronaut photographers must learn to brace themselves against the ISS bulkhead to prevent any slight shaking that would blur or “smear” the picture. Counterintuitively, they then need to move the camera carefully retaining the target at the same point in the viewfinder (the landscape moves across the viewfinder quickly with long lenses). This is called tracking the target and requires good coordination by the photographer—again, to prevent blurring. Shorter lenses do not require this skill because the image appears to pass more slowly across the viewfinder.

In this ASTER image the features that look like folded material are carbonate sand dunes in the shallow waters of Tarpum Bay, southwest of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas. The sand making up the dunes comes from the erosion of limestone coral reefs, and has been shaped into dunes by ocean currents. This image was acquired on May 12, 2002 by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03877

ISS010-E-12917 (13 January 2005) --- One of a series of post-tsunami digital still images photographed from the International Space Station on January 13, 2005. This image, centered at 4.9 degrees north latitude and 72.9 degrees east longitude, and one of several showing the Maldives, shows the east portion of Goidhoo (also called Horsburgh) Atoll. Also visible are Goidhoo (Goidu) Island and Fehendoo (Fehendu) Island. Information is sketchy on how much damage was actually sustained in the region, but NASA scientists studying the ISS imagery say that coral reefs likely mitigated the damage level.

ISS013-E-27590 (27 May 2006) --- Aves Island, Caribbean Sea is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 13 crewmember on the International Space Station. This image is a rare almost cloud free view of the island and the submerged fringing coral reef that surrounds it. Scientists believe the crosshatch-like pattern of roughness on the surrounding sea surface was caused by variable winds at the time of image acquisition. The island itself currently stands a mere 4 meters above the surrounding sea surface, and in high seas it can be completely submerged. While the low elevation of the island makes it a hazard to shipping, it also provides a major nesting site for green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Caribbean.

The Red Sea golf resort in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, where President Clinton met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, stands out against the desert landscape in this image acquired on August 25, 2000. This image of the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula shows an area about 30 by 40 kilometers (19 by 25 miles) in the visible and near infrared wavelength region. Vegetation appears in red. The blue areas in the water at the top and bottom of the image are coral reefs. The airport is visible just to the north of the golf resort. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02667

ISS010-E-20261 (19 March 2005) --- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 10 crewmember on the International Space Station. The city of Jeddah is the second largest city in Saudi Arabia (after Riyadh), and is the country&#0146;s most important Red Sea port. A large warehouse and dock complex is visible in the lower left portion of this image. Apart from being a major port for exchange of goods with Africa and Europe, Jeddah is of great importance for Islamic pilgrims going east to Mecca (a religious journey known as the hajj). In addition to urban attractions, coral reefs along the coast (north-south trending islands to image left) are frequented by divers visiting the city. The image captures the multicolored rooftops of homes and other buildings in the city, the oldest of which were built using coral from the nearby Red Sea and clay from the al-Manqabah lagoon in the center of the Al Balad district (center of image; lagoon is approximately 0.25 km across).

The Florida Keys are a chain of islands, islets and reefs extending from Virginia Key to the Dry Tortugas for about 309 kilometers (192 miles). The keys are chiefly limestone and coral formations. The larger islands of the group are Key West (with its airport), Key Largo, Sugarloaf Key, and Boca Chica Key. A causeway extends from the mainland to Key West. This image was acquired on October 28, 2001, by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03890

61A-40-38 (30 Oct-6 Nov 1985) --- The coral reef forming the atoll of Midway sits atop a volcanic seamount that has descended more than 3,000 feet (1000 meters) below the sea surface in this ancient region of the Hawaiian volcanic chain. This view was taken by the crew members onboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger. The crew consisted of astronauts Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr., commander; Steven R. Nagel, pilot; James F. Buchli, Guion S. Bluford, Jr., and Bonnie J. Dunbar, all mission specialists; Reinhard Furrer, Ernst Messerschmid, and Wubbo J. Ockels, all payload specialists. Ockels represents the European Space Agency (ESA).

STS100-708-78 (19 April-1 May 2001) --- Southwest of the Bahamas and north of Hispaniola lie the Turks and Caicos Islands, photographed by the astronaut/cosmonaut crew aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Endeavour. In this view, the extensive shallow water areas of Caicos Bank (turquoise blue) dominate to the south of the Caicos Islands. Caicos Bank covers an area of 7,680 square kilometers (1.9 million acres). The coral reefs of Caicos are primarily along the north deep water edge of the islands, and in a barrier along the south margin of the bank. The area is known for its marine caves and blowholes. To the east of Caicos Bank, near the tail of the Shuttle, is the island of Grand Turk, part of the much smaller Turks Bank. The channel that runs between the two banks is more than 2,200 meters (1.4 miles) deep.

STS083-712-063 (4-8 April 1997) --- Northern half of Long Island, Bahamas. The vivid blues of the Bahamas stand out from space. Long Island and Great Exuma Island, which extends from the west north west into the photo, is on the eastern side of the Great Bahama Bank and form the borders of Exuma Sound. This photograph provides a rare opportunity to observe a natural chemical laboratory at work. Limestone of quite a different sort from that forming the Great Barrier Reef is actually in the process of formation. Long Island itself is little more than a sandbar rising just a few meters (about 30 to 50 meters) above sea level but it separates the deep, dark blue waters of the Atlantic on the right from the 10-meter (33 feet) shallows of the Great Bahama Bank (left). Details of the topography of the bank are visible through the clear waters. The shallow waters are warm and become extremely salty. Crystals of aragonite, a calcium carbonate mineral, are precipitated and formed into spherical sand-sized oolites as the tidal currents swirl back and forth. Lithification of the carbonate sands produces an oolithic limestone. Although the water is warm and clear, corals do not live in the shallows, probably because of the elevated salt content. Although chemically similar, the oolithic limestone forming Long Island is very different from coral reef limestone. An airfield is visible at the northern and central (bottom of photo) part of the island.

ISS017-E-008188 (29 May 2008) --- Dry Tortugas islands near Florida are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 17 crewmember on the International Space Station. The Dry Tortugas are a group of islands located approximately 75 miles west of Key West, Florida; they form the western end of the Florida Keys in the Gulf of Mexico. Like the Keys, the Dry Tortugas are formed primarily of coral reefs over older limestone formations. The islands were named "Dry Tortugas" upon discovery by Ponce de Leon in 1513 -- "tortugas" means turtles in Spanish, and the islands are "dry" as no fresh water is found on them. From the air, the islands present an atoll-like arrangement, however no central volcanic structure is present. The islands are only accessible by boat or seaplane; nevertheless they have been designated the Dry Tortugas National Park, and are visited by hundreds every year. This view highlights three islands in the group; Bush Key, Hospital Key, and Garden Key -- the site of Fort Jefferson. Fort Jefferson is a Civil War era fort, perhaps most notable for being the prison of Dr. Samuel Mudd, who set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth following Booth's assassination of President Lincoln. The fort itself is currently undergoing extensive restoration to prevent collapse of the hexagonal outer walls (center). The islands stand out due to brown and light tan carbonate sands visible above the Gulf of Mexico water surface. Light blue-green irregular masses in the image surrounding the islands are coral reef tops visible below the water surface.

ISS001-E-5028 (December 2000) --- Djibouti, the capital city of the country of Djibouti, can be seen in this northeast-looking view taken from the International Space Station (ISS) with a digital still camera using a 400mm lens. Djibouti, scarcely 100 years old, sits on the western shore of an isthmus in the Gulf of Tadjoura, an arm of the Gulf of Aden. Djibouti is surrounded by a rugged and bleak landscape, that has a dry and hot climate. The population of Djibouti has grown from an estimated 96,000 in 1973 to over 330,000 in 1991 mainly due to the influx of refugees from the neighboring, war torn countries of Ethiopia and Somalia. With its strategically located port, Djibouti&#0146;s economic importance results from the large transit trade it enjoys as the terminus of a railroad line from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The city has seen an increase in tourism in the past decade due a large number of cruise ships visiting the port. Besides tourism, salt production and shipbuilding and repair are other major industries. Below the center of the image, the long runway of the Djibouti/Ambouli International Airport is visible. Coral reefs are discernible in the upper left and upper right quadrants of the image.

ISS021-E-011833 (22 Oct. 2009) --- The southern Savage Islands in the Atlantic Ocean are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 21 crew member on the International Space Station. The Savage Islands, or Ilhas Selvagens in Portuguese, comprise a small archipelago in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean between the archipelago of Madeira to the north and the Canary Islands to the south. Like other island groups, the Savage Islands are thought to have been produced by volcanism related to a mantle plume or ?hot spot?. Mantle plumes are relatively fixed regions of upwelling magma that can feed volcanoes on an overlying tectonic plate. Active volcanoes form over the plume, and become dormant as they are carried away on the moving tectonic plate. Scientists believe that over geologic time, this creates a line of older extinct volcanoes, seamounts, and islands extending from the leading active volcanoes that are currently over the plume. This view illustrates the smaller and more irregularly-shaped Ilheus do Norte, Ilheu de Fora, and Selvagem Pequena. Spain and Portugal both claim sovereignty over the Savage Islands. All of the islands of the archipelago are ringed by bright white breaking waves along the fringing beaches. Coral reefs that surround the Savage Islands make it very difficult to land boats there, and there is no permanent settlement on the islands.

ISS021-E-011832 (22 Oct. 2009) --- The northern Savage Islands in the Atlantic Ocean are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 21 crew member on the International Space Station. The Savage Islands, or Ilhas Selvagens in Portuguese, comprise a small archipelago in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean between the archipelago of Madeira to the north and the Canary Islands to the south. Like other island groups, the Savage Islands are thought to have been produced by volcanism related to a mantle plume or “hot spot”. Mantle plumes are relatively fixed regions of upwelling magma that can feed volcanoes on an overlying tectonic plate. Active volcanoes form over the plume, and become dormant as they are carried away on the moving tectonic plate. Scientists believe that over geologic time, this creates a line of older extinct volcanoes, seamounts, and islands extending from the leading active volcanoes that are currently over the plume. This view illustrates Selvagem Grande, the largest of the islands with an approximate area of four square kilometers. All of the islands of the archipelago are ringed by bright white breaking waves along the fringing beaches. Coral reefs that surround the Savage Islands make it very difficult to land boats there, and there is no permanent settlement on the islands.

Caribbean Luxury - April 24th, 2003 Description: The Caicos Islands (pronounced KAY-kohss) in the northern Caribbean are a popular tourist attraction, renowned for their beautiful beaches, clear waters, scuba diving, and luxury resorts. The islands lie primarily along the northern perimeter of the submerged Caicos Bank (turquoise), a shallow limestone platform formed of sand, algae, and coral reefs covering 6,140 square kilometers (2,370 square miles). Credit: USGS/NASA/Landsat 7 To learn more about the Landsat satellite go to: <a href="http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow">landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/</a> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Join us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b>

Range : 50,000 miles This multispectral map of Australia, and surrounding seas was obtained by the Galileo spacecraft's Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer shortly after closest approach. The image shows various ocean, land and atmospheric cloud features as they appear in three of the 408 infrared colors or wavelengths sensed by the instrument. The wavelength of 0.873 micron, represented as blue in the photo, shows regions of enhanced liquid water absorption, i.e. the Pacific and Indian oceans. The 0.984-micron band, represented as red, shows areas of enhanced ground reflection as on the Australian continent. This wavelength is also s ensitive to the reflectivity of relatively thick clouds. The 0.939-micron wavelength, shown as green, is a strong water-vapor-absorbing band, and is used to accentuate clouds lying above the strongly absorbing lower atmosphere. When mixed with the red indicator of cloud reflection, the green produces a yellowish hue; this indicates thick clouds. The distinctive purplish color off the northeast coast marks the unusually shallow waters of the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. Here the blue denoting water absorption combines with the red denoting reflection from coral and surface marine organisms to produce thiss unusual color. The Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) on the Galileo spacecraft is a combines mapping (imaging) and spectral instrument. It can sense 408 contiguous wavelengths from 0.7 micron (deep red) to 5.2 microns, and can construct a map or image by mechanical scanning. It can spectroscopically analyze atmospheres and surfaces and construct thermal and chemical maps.

The Niepolmice Forest in Poland consists of six nature reserves, providing sanctuary for such threatened animals as lynx, wild cats and European Bison. Because of its proximity to Krakow, the old capital of Poland (left side of image), the forest (right side of image, dark red area) was a hunting ground for Polish Royalty beginning in the 13th century. The image was acquired May 25, 2003, covers an area of 29.5 by 48.5 km, and is located at 50 degrees north, 20.4 degrees east. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of about 50 to 300 feet (15 to 90 meters), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23678

Sark (lower right) is part of the English Channel Islands off the coast of Normandy, France. It is a royal fief, part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey (left side), and has its own set of laws based on Norman law, its own parliament, and exchequer. Until 2008, it was the last feudal state in Europe with hereditary government. Sark is one of the few places in the world where cars are banned. The image was acquired June 16, 2017, covers an area of 14.1 by 25.3 km, and is located at 49.4 degrees north, 2.5 degrees west. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of about 50 to 300 feet (15 to 90 meters), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25859

The major volcanic eruption of Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma, Canary Islands, began on September 21, 2021. For three months, lava poured out of the volcanic ridge, and flowed to the sea, engulfed 3000+ dwellings. The October 4 ASTER thermal infrared image shows the first flow reaching the coast. On October 15, a second flow followed to the north. By December 19, activity had stopped, and the flows are cooling. The images cover an area of 32.5 by 49.3 km, and are located at 28.6 degrees north, 17.9 degrees west. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of about 50 to 300 feet (15 to 90 meters), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25085

ISS036-E-010628 (24 June 2013) --- Strait of Tiran, Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 36 crew member on the International Space Station. The approximately six-kilometer wide Strait of Tiran (also known as the Straits of Tiran) between the Egyptian mainland and Tiran Island separates the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea, and provides two channels (290 meters and 73 meters deep, respectively) navigable by large ships bound for ports in Jordan and Israel. A smaller passage also exists between the east side of Tiran Island and Saudi Arabia, but this a single channel that is 16 meters deep. Due to its strategic position, control of the Strait has been an important factor in historical conflicts of the region, such as the Suez Crisis in 1956 and the Six-Day War in 1967. This photograph illustrates the morphology of the Strait. The relatively clear, deep-water passages of the western Strait of Tiran are visible at right, while the more sinuous shallow-water passage on the Saudi Arabia side can be seen at bottom center. Light blue to turquoise areas around Tiran Island indicate shallow water, while the island itself is arid and largely free of vegetation. Coral reefs are also found in the Straits of Tiran and are a popular diving destination. The silvery sheen on the water surface within the Strait and the south of Tiran Island is sunglint – light reflecting off the water surface back towards the observer on the space station. Disturbance to the water surface, as well as presence of substances such as oils and surfactants, can change the reflective properties of the water surface and highlight both surface waves and subsurface currents. For example, a large wave set is highlighted by sunglint at upper left.

On February 25, 2016, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite acquired this natural-color image of Biscayne National Park. The park encompasses the northernmost Florida Keys, starting from Miami to just north of Key Largo. The keys run like a spine through the center of the park, with Biscayne Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The water-covered areas span more than 660 square kilometers (250 square miles) of the park, making it the largest marine park in the U.S. National Park System. Biscayne protects the longest stretch of mangrove forest on the U.S. East Coast, and one of the most extensive stretches of coral reef in the world. Read more: <a href="http://go.nasa.gov/1SWs1a3" rel="nofollow">go.nasa.gov/1SWs1a3</a> Credit: NASA/Landsat8 <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagrid.me/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Mar Menor, in southeast Spain, is Europe's largest coastal saltwater lagoon. For the past 40 years, Mar Menor has faced severe contamination from agricultural runoff, leading to large algal blooms, and ecological degradation. Now, major restoration and prevention programs are in place to restore the lagoon, and try to reverse the damage. The image was acquired August 24, 2023, covers an area of 22.6 by 27.4 km, and is located at 37.7 degrees north, 0.8 degrees west. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of about 50 to 300 feet (15 to 90 meters), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26009

The Anti-Atlas Mountains of Morocco formed as a result of the collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates about 80 million years ago. This collision destroyed the Tethys Ocean; the limestone, sandstone, claystone, and gypsum layers that formed the ocean bed were folded and crumpled to create the Anti-Atlas Mountains. In this ASTER image of southwest Morocco, visible, near infrared, and short wavelength infrared bands are combined to dramatically highlight the different rock types, and illustrate the complex folding. The ability to map geology using ASTER data is enhanced by bands that are sensitive to differences in rock mineralogy. The image was acquired on November 5, 2007, covers an area of 51.9 by 60.8 km, and is located at 28.1 degrees north and 10.7 degrees west. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of about 50 to 300 feet (15 to 90 meters), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23533

ISS022-E-024557 (12 Jan. 2010) --- Male Atoll and Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 22 crew member on the International Space Station. This detailed photograph features one of the numerous atolls in the Maldive Island chain. The Maldives are an island nation, comprised of twenty-six atolls that stretch in a north-to-south chain for almost 900 kilometers southwest of the Indian subcontinent. The silvery, almost pink sheen on the normally blue water of the equatorial Indian Ocean is the result of sunglint. Sunglint occurs when sunlight is reflected off of a water surface directly back towards the observer ? in this case a crew member on the space station. Full sunglint in images typically results in bright silver to white coloration of the water surface. Sunglint images can have different hues depending on the roughness of the water surface and atmospheric conditions. They also can reveal numerous details of water circulation which are otherwise invisible. This image was taken during the Indian Ocean Northeast monsoon season - predominant winds in this area create sinuous surface water patterns on the leeward side, and between, the islets (left). A south-flowing current flows in the deeper water through the Maldives most of the year (right), with fan-shaped surface currents formed by local tides pulsing in and out of the shallow water near the islands (top and bottom). The largest island seen here (center) is 6 kilometers long, and is one of the outer ring of larger islands that make up the 70 kilometers-long, oval-shaped Male Atoll. Shores facing deeper water have well-defined beaches. Numerous small, elliptical coral reef islets are protected within the ring of shallow water to the northeast (left). These islets are mostly awash at high tide, with dry ground appearing in tiny patches only. A small boat was navigating between the islets at the time the image was taken as indicated by its v-shaped wake at bottom left. Images like these illustrate why the Republic of Maldives is one of the most outspoken countries in stressing the dangers of rising sea levels.

In the northern Mexican state of Cohuilla lies the Cuatro Cienegas Basin. Dotting the landscape are small pools, formed by natural springs, in which are found live stromatolites. These stony layered structures are formed by colonies of cyanobacteria that trap sedimentary grains. Their major presence in the fossil record of several billion years ago is evidence of some of the earliest form of life on Earth. NASA stated that the biological reserve of Cuatro Ciénegas could have strong links to discovering life on Mars, since the adaptability of bioforms in the region was unique in the world. The image was acquired April 1, 2017, covers an area of 14.9 by 23.8 km, and is located at 26.9 degrees north, 102.1 degrees west. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of about 50 to 300 feet (15 to 90 meters), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23535

Super typhoon Mangkhut slammed into the northern Philippines on September 15 with wind speeds equivalent to a category 5 hurricane. South of where the eye made landfall, the storm's effects could be seen clearly five days later. The ASTER image of Dagupan and the Lingayen Gulf shows flooded and water-saturated areas in dark blue. Sediment-laden waters from swollen rivers enter the ocean and appear as blue-green plumes. The image was acquired September 22, 2018, covers an area of 51.4 by 61.2 kilometers, and is located at 16.2 degrees north, 120.3 degrees east. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of about 50 to 300 feet (15 to 90 meters), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22705

Grande Comore is the largest island of the Union of the Comoros, an island nation located in the Mozambique Channel northwest of Madagascar. The nation was granted independence from France in 1975, and became the Federated Islamic Republic of the Comoro Islands. In 2001, the government reformed as the Union of the Comoros. The three islands making up the country are all of volcanic origin, and Grande Comore is still volcanically active. The image was acquired June 22, 2022, covers an area of 25.7 by 67.4 km, and is located at 11.7 degrees south, 43.3 degrees east. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of about 50 to 300 feet (15 to 90 meters), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25444

ISS012-E-06456 (3 Nov. 2005) --- Salar de Uyuni, the largest Salar (salt flat) in the world, located within the Altiplano of Bolivia, South America is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 12 crewmember on the International Space Station. The Altiplano is a high plateau formed during uplift of the Andes Mountains. The plateau harbors fresh and saltwater lakes, together with Salars, that are surrounded by mountains with no drainage outlets--all at elevations greater than 3,659 meters (12,000 feet) above mean sea level. The Salar de Uyuni covers approximately 8,000 square kilometers (3,100 square miles), and it is a major transport route across the Bolivian Altiplano due to its flatness. This image features the northern end of the Salar and the dormant volcano Mount Tunupa (image center). This mountain is high enough to support a summit glacier, and enough rain falls on the windward slopes to provide water for small communities along the base. The dark volcanic rocks comprising Mt. Tunupa are in sharp contrast with the white, mineral-crusted surface of the Salar. The major minerals are halite--common table salt--and gypsum--a common component of drywall. Relict shorelines visible in the surface salt deposits (lower right of the image) attest to the occasional presence of small amounts of water in the Salar. Sediments in the Salar basin record fluctuations in water levels that occurred as the lake that once occupied the Salar evaporated. These sediments provide a valuable paleoclimate record for the region. The dynamic geological history of the Altiplano is recorded in isolated "islands" within the salt flat (image left); these islands are typically built from fossil coral reefs covered by Andean volcanic rocks.

ISS015-E-15323 (27 June 2007) --- Part of Bechar Basin, Algeria is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station. The Bechar Basin of northwestern Algeria reaches depths of 8,000 meters, and is a producing hydrocarbon region. According to scientists, the basin was formed as Paleozoic (approximately 250-540 million years old) sedimentary layers were folded and faulted during much later collision of the continents of Africa and Europe during the Tertiary Period (approximately 2-65 million years ago). Hydrocarbon reservoirs are located within clastic (formed of variably-sized pieces of pre-existing rock) sedimentary rocks and fossilized coral reefs. Dark brown to tan folded ridges of these Paleozoic sedimentary layers extend across this view from top to bottom. Sand dunes are visible to the north, south, and west of the city of Bechar (gray-blue region to the left of the fold ridges) at center. Wadis (river channels) are dry most of the year in the arid climate of the region. Unconsolidated (loose) sands left in the channels by intermittent streams are transported by surface winds after the water is gone. This leads to the formation of individual dunes and larger dune fields (both bright tan in color) along the wadi courses, which also concentrate sands from other sources; dune fields are visible to the south of Bechar and at lower right. The oblique -- looking at an angle from the International Space Station, versus looking straight down - view of this photo accentuates cliff and dune shadows, providing a sense of the topography of the region.

More than 70% of the world's hazelnuts come from Turkey, and about 60% come from the Eastern Black Sea region on the slopes of the Pontic mountain range, around the ancient coastal city of Giresun. The tradition of hazelnut farming goes back thousands of years. Presently, most of the hazelnut products are processed by women [BBC Travel]. The image was acquired August 15, 2024, covers an area of 35.7 by 36.2 km, and is located at 40.9 degrees north, 38.4 degrees east. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of about 50 to 300 feet (15 to 90 meters), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26450

Chausey is a group of small islands and islets off the coast of Normandy and is part of the French Channel Islands. Chausey bounced back and forth between England and France for 800 years before finally officially belonging to France in the 19th century. The archipelago comprises 365 islands at low tide (2019 image), compared to only 52 islands at high tide (2018 image). The images were acquired July 7, 2018 and September 10, 2019, cover an area of 6.7 by 10.5 km, and are located at 48.9 degrees north, 1.8 degrees west. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of about 50 to 300 feet (15 to 90 meters), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25800

Lake Mackay is the largest of hundreds of ephemeral lakes scattered throughout Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and is the second largest lake in Australia. The darker areas indicate some form of desert vegetation or algae, moisture within the soils, and lowest elevations where water pools. The image was acquired on September 19, 2010 and covers an area of 27 x 41 km. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. More information about ASTER is available at <a href="http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow">asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/</a>. Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve is located in the Shark Bay World Heritage Site in Western Australia. It is one of the very few places in the world where living stromatolites can be found. These are the first living examples of structures built by cyanobacteria. These bacteria are direct descendants of the oldest form of photosynthetic life on earth, dating back 3,500 million years (Wikipedia). The image was acquired December 30, 2010, covers an area of 34 x 46 km, and is located at 26.4 degrees south latitude, 114.1 degrees east longitude. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. More information about ASTER is available at <a href="http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow">asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/</a>. Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team Image Addition Date: 2013-03-15 <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

NASA image acquired December 14, 2004 In the southernmost reaches of Burma (Myanmar), along the border with Thailand, lies the Mergui Archipelago. The archipelago in the Andaman Sea is made up of more than 800 islands surrounded by extensive coral reefs. This natural color image acquired by Landsat 5 on Dec. 14, 2004, shows the middle portion of the archipelago, including Auckland and Whale Bays. Swirling patterns are visible in the near-shore waters as sediments carried by rivers slowly settle out and are deposited on the seafloor. The heavy sediment loads make the river appear nearly white. As those sediments settle out, the seawater appears deeper shades of blue. The tropical rainforests of the region appear deep green. Captain Thomas Forrest of the East India Company first described the region to Europeans after a 1782 expedition in search of potential sugar-growing lands. At that time, the islands were mainly inhabited by a nomadic fishing culture. These people, known as the Moken, still call the archipelago home and mostly live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. As of 2006, 2,000 Moken were known to inhabit the Burmese portion of Mergui. The small population of the archipelago has helped preserve its high diversity of plants and animals. In 1997, Burma opened the region to foreign tourism and in the years since it has become a major diving destination. A valued species of pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) are found in nearby waters. Today, overfishing is emerging as a regional problem. Landsat image created by Michael Taylor, Landsat Project Science Office. Caption by Laura Rocchio. Instrument: Landsat 5 - TM To read more go to: <a href="http://1.usa.gov/TDmjsk" rel="nofollow">1.usa.gov/TDmjsk</a> Credit: <b><a href="http://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow"> NASA Earth Observatory</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

On September 24 at 11:29 GMT, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in south-central Pakistan at a relatively shallow depth of 20 kilometers. The earthquake occurred as the result of oblique strike-slip motion, consistent with rupture within the Eurasian tectonic plate. Tremors were felt as far away as New Delhi as well as Karachi in Pakistan. Even though the immediate area to the epicenter is sparsely populated, the majority of houses are of mud brick construction and damage is expected to be extensive. The perspective view, looking to the east, shows the location of the epicenter in Pakistan's Makran fold belt. The image is centered near 27 degrees north latitude, 65.5 degrees east longitude, and was acquired December 13, 2012. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. More information about ASTER is available at <a href="http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow">asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/</a>. Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team Image Addition Date: 2013-09-24 <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

On April 9, 2013 at 11:52 GMT, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit southwestern Iran's Bushehr province near the town of Kaki. Preliminary information is that several villages have been destroyed and many people have died, as reported by BBC News. This perspective view of the region was acquired Nov. 17, 2012, by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft. The location of the earthquake's epicenter is marked with a yellow star. Vegetation is displayed in red; the vertical exaggeration of the topography is 2X. The image is centered near 28.5 degrees north latitude, 51.6 degrees east longitude. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. More information about ASTER is available at <a href="http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow">asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/</a>. Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team Image Addition Date: 2013-04-10 <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Arizona produces 60% of the total copper mined in the US; in 2007, 750,000 tons of copper came out of the state. One of the major mining districts is located about 30 km south of Tucson. Starting around 1950, open-pit mining replaced underground operations, and the ASARCO-Mission complex, Twin Buttes, and Sierrita mines became large open pit operations. Accompanying copper mineralization, silver, molybdenum, zinc, lead and gold are extracted. In addition to the pits themselves, enormous leach ponds and tailings piles surround the pits. The image was acquired May 31, 2012, covers an area of 22 by 28 km, and is located at 31.9 degrees north, 111 degrees west. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. More information about ASTER is available at <a href="http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow">asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/</a> Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Sochi, Russia Winter Olympic Sites (Mountain Cluster) The 2014 Winter Olympic ski runs may be rated double black diamond, but they're not quite as steep as they appear in this image of the skiing and snowboarding sites for the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, acquired on Jan. 4, 2014, by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft. Rosa Khutar ski resort near Sochi, Russia, is in the valley at center, and the runs are visible on the shadowed slopes on the left-hand side of the valley. Height has been exaggerated 1.5 times to bring out topographic details. The games, which begin on Feb. 7 and continue for 17 days, feature six new skiing and boarding events plus the return of the legendary Jamaican bobsled team to the winter games for the first time since 2002. In this southwest-looking image, red indicates vegetation, white is snow, and the resort site appears in gray. The area imaged is about 11 miles (18 kilometers) across in the foreground and 20 miles (32 kilometers) from front to back. The image was created from the ASTER visible and near-infrared bands, draped over ASTER-derived digital elevation data. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. More information about ASTER is available at <a href="http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow">asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/</a>. credit:NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Salt Lake City, Utah, Winter 2001 The 2002 Winter Olympics are hosted by Salt Lake City at several venues within the city, in nearby cities, and within the adjacent Wasatch Mountains. This simulated natural color image presents a snowy, winter view of north central Utah that includes all of the Olympic sites. The image extends from Ogden in the north, to Provo in the south; and includes the snow-capped Wasatch Mountains and the eastern part of the Great Salt Lake. This image was acquired on February 8, 2001 by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER will image Earth for the next 6 years to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18,1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. Dr. Anne Kahle at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, is the U.S. Science team leader; Bjorn Eng of JPL is the project manager. ASTER is the only high resolution imaging sensor on Terra. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, along-term research and technology program designed to examine Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere, ice and life as a total integrated system. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER will provide scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. Image credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team Credit: <b><a href="http://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow"> NASA Earth Observatory</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Sochi, Russia Winter Olympic Sites (Coastal Cluster) The Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, is the warmest city ever to host the Winter Olympic Games, which open on Feb. 7, 2014, and run through Feb. 23. This north-looking image, acquired on Jan. 4, 2014, by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft, shows the Sochi Olympic Park Coastal Cluster -- the circular area on the shoreline in the bottom center of the image -- which was built for Olympic indoor sports. Even curling has its own arena alongside multiple arenas for hockey and skating. The Olympic alpine events will take place at the Mountain Cluster, located in a snow-capped valley at the top right of the image. Sochi itself, a city of about 400,000, is not visible in the picture. It's farther west (left) along the coast, past the airport at bottom left. In the image, red indicates vegetation, white is snow, buildings are gray and the ocean is dark blue. The area imaged is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from west to east (left to right) at the coastline and 25 miles (41 kilometers) from front to back. Height is exaggerated 1.5 times. The image was created from the ASTER visible and near-infrared bands, draped over ASTER-derived digital elevation data. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. More information about ASTER is available at <a href="http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow">asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/</a>. Image credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>