Atatürk Reservoir in Türkiye located on the Euphrates River

STS043-151-043 (8 August 1991) --- The Rio Grande extends across the center of this photograph from Falcon Reservoir to its bulging delta, joining the Gulf of Mexico. Sediment brought down by the river is spread northward and southward by alongshore currents to form the barrier chain of Padre Island and its protected Laguna Madre Speckled agricultural land use patterns in the river valley contrast with range land northward from the white cloud, and with closed canopy forest on hills in Mexico. A Linhof camera with a 90mm lens, was used to expose the frame at 14:43 GMT, Aug. 8, 1991.

Lake Murray, Fly and Strickland River Basins, Papua, New Guinea

Lake Murray, a manmade reservoir, lies between the Fly and Strickland River Basins, Papua, New Guinea (7.0S, 141.5E). The region, photographed in sunglint, shows the water level in the reservoir and the full extent of the drainage basins of both river systems as the rivers meander through wide alluvial floodplains. Some forest clearing can be seen in places throughout the region, but most of the area remains in closed canopy forest.

Lake Mead-2022

Lake Mead, America's largest reservoir, on the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona, has shrunk to historic lows, dropping to about 30% of its capacity. The reservoir provides water to 25 million people in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico. The water level has fallen from 1204 feet in 2000, to an all-time low of 1049" yesterday. The images were acquired May 19, 2000 and May 25 2022, cover an area of 20.5 by 34.9 km, and are located at 36.1 degrees north, 114.6 degrees west. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25279

Ohio Basin Lakes Water Levels

This visualization based on data from the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite shows the average water level for lakes and reservoirs in the Ohio River Basin from July 2023 to November 2024. Yellow indicates values greater than 1,600 feet (500 meters) above sea level, and dark purple represents water levels less than 330 feet (100 meters). Comparing how such levels change can help hydrologists measure water availability over time in a local area or across a watershed. Since early 2023, SWOT has been measuring the height of nearly all water on Earth's surface – including oceans, lakes, reservoirs, and rivers – covering nearly the entire globe at least once every 21 days. The satellite also measures the horizontal extent of water in freshwater bodies. Earlier this year, the SWOT mission started making validated data (processed measurements that have been checked for accuracy) publicly available. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26188

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iss072e069220 (Oct. 16, 2024) --- The Jebba Dam (lower left) impounds the Niger River creating a reservoir in Nigeria in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above the African nation.

The Jebba Dam impounds the Niger River

iss068e006715 (Oct. 1, 2022) --- This portion of the Euphrates River, containing the Keban Dam Reservoir created by the Keban Dam, is pictured in eastern Turkey from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above.

Earth observation taken by Expedition 68 crew

Earth Observations taken during Expedition 69

Crew Earth Observations (CEO) taken during Expedition 8

ISS008-E-12372 (10 January 2004) --- The Biobio River in Chile was featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 8 crewmember onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The river flows northwestward from the high Cordillera of the Andes to the Pacific Ocean near Concepcion, about 450 kilometers south of Santiago. This image shows a section of the river that skirts around Antuco volcano in the Andes, and features the Pangue dam and reservoir filling a narrow, meandering segment of the Biobio River valley. Upstream from the Pangue Reservoir (right frame), the cleared areas associated with earth moving and construction of the Ralco Dam are visible. The straight white lines in cleared forest between the two dams probably represent power transmission lines.

Earth Observations by the Expedition 19 crew

ISS019-E-007720 (15 April 2009) --- Three Gorges Dam in China is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 19 crew member on the International Space Station. A new reservoir is filling in central China. The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River - the world?s largest dam ? was completed in 2006, and the river is filling up its valley behind the dam to form a narrow reservoir extending more than 600 kilometers. This image is one of the first images documenting the flooding behind the dam. The main objective for the dam is to supply water for the largest hydroelectric plant in the world and help control the devastating floods that plague the lowlands downstream from the dam.

The Zeid Reservoir in Turkmenistan

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S66-45763 (18-21 July 1966) --- Don Martin Reservoir and Sabinas River Valley area of the States of Coahuila and Nuevo Leon, Mexico, as seen from the Gemini-10 spacecraft. Taken with a J. A. Maurer 70mm camera, using Eastman Kodak, Ektachrome, MS (S.O. 217) color film. Photo credit: NASA

GT-10 - EARTH SKY - COAHUILA & NUEVO LEON, MEXICO

ISS008-E-20656 (4 April 2004) --- This image featuring the Ukrainian city of Kiev on a reservoir on the Dnepr River was taken by an Expedition 8 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). Kiev is the capital of Ukraine and home to nearly three million people and rich in the history of western civilization.

Crew Earth Observations (CEO) taken during Expedition 8

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Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 16 Crew

ISS016-E-011999 (22 Nov. 2007) --- Sao Simao Reservoir, Brazil is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 16 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). The Sao Simao reservoir, near the confluence of the Rio Paranaiba and Rio Verde in Brazil, is the featured subject in a milestone image of Earth. This colorful, patchwork image is the 300,000th image of Earth downlinked from the space station. There are now over 745,000 images of Earth taken by astronaut crews, beginning with the Mercury missions in 1961 and continuing to the present day on the ISS. The Sao Simao reservoir is located on the border between the states of Goias and Minas Gerais (near the geographic coordinates of 18.7S 50.4W). Though the town of Sao Simao was founded around 1935, major growth occurred when the hydroelectric power plant and dam were built - forming the reservoir -- in 1975. The reservoir is part of a major navigation link that allows transport of goods and commerce between central Brazil, the Prata River and the South Atlantic. With 600,000 square kilometers of surface area, the reservoir also serves as a tourist destination for fishing, swimming and boating. In addition to hydroelectric power production, the economy of the region is based in agribusiness. The image highlights agricultural fields of various kinds and in different stages of cultivation. The major commodities include corn, soybeans, sesame seeds, sugarcane, beans, manioc, coffee and meat production.

Egypt’s Nile River turns into Lake Nasser at the Aswan High Dam

iss074e0315952 (Feb. 16, 2026) --- Egypt’s Nile River turns into Lake Nasser (upper left) at the Aswan High Dam, where the water spreads into a vast artificial reservoir that controls the river’s flow, prevents flooding, and generates hydroelectric power. Center‑pivot irrigation systems appear near the center bottom, forming perfect circles of crops such as potatoes and wheat. The International Space Station was orbiting 258 miles above the African nation at the time of this photograph. Credit: NASA

Earth observation image of Lake Powell taken during STS-100.

STS100-716-176 (19 April-1 May 2001) --- The deeply entrenched, meandering Colorado River is distinctively dark as the river winds its way across the arid terrain of southeast Utah in this 70mm frame photographed from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Endeavour. While Glen Canyon Dam (bottom of image) is located in northern Arizona, the reservoir of Lake Powell is in Utah. The Escalante and San Juan Rivers, two major tributaries that flow into Lake Powell (from the northwest and east respectively) are also discernable. The darker-looking, elongated and elevated feature north of Lake Powell is the Kaiparowits Plateau. Navajo Mountain is the darker circular feature to the south (to the right) of the lake.

View of Central Texas as seen from Apollo 9

AS09-22-3341 (3-13 March 1969) --- Central Texas area as photographed from the Apollo 9 spacecraft during its Earth-orbital mission. Interstate 35 runs from Austin (right center edge of picture) to Waco (near bottom left corner). Also visible are the cities of Georgetown, Taylor, Temple and Killeen. The Colorado River runs through Austin. The Brazos River flows through Waco. Lake Travis is upstream from Austin. Lake Whitney is at bottom left corner of picture. The Belton Reservoir is near bottom center. The lake formed by the dam on the Lampasas River near Belton is also clearly visible.

Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas as seen from the Apollo 6 unmanned spacecraft

AS06-02-1462 (4 April 1968) --- View of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area as photographed from the unmanned Apollo 6 (Spacecraft 020/Saturn 502) space mission. The highway and expressway system in and around both cities is clearly visible. North is toward left side of picture. Grapevine Reservoir and Garza-Little Elm Reservoir are to the north-west of Dallas. The city of Denton can be seen in left center of picture at conjunction of highways leading to both Fort Worth and Dallas. The Brazos River is in lower right corner. This photograph was made three hours and nine minutes after liftoff of the Apollo 6 space flight.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 31 Crew

ISS031-E-006398 (30 April 2012) --- Lake Powell and the Rincon in Utah are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 31 crew member on the International Space Station. This photograph highlights part of Lake Powell; the lake extends across southeastern Utah and northeastern Arizona. Lake Powell started filling in 1963 when the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River in Arizona was completed, and Glen Canyon flooded. The serpentine water surface of the reservoir-highlighted by gray regions of sunglint-follows the incised course of the canyon. Today Lake Powell is part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area which extends for more than 186 miles along the shoreline and side canyons. The primary intended use of Lake Powell?s water is support of agricultural production, with a small portion allocated to urban use in Arizona, Nevada, and California. The reservoir did not reach its maximum capacity of 27 million acre-feet until 1980. More recently, extended drought conditions in the southwestern United States over the past decade have resulted in a significant lowering of the Lake water level and emergence of parts of Glen Canyon. Should average precipitation in the Colorado River watershed lessen (as predicted by regional climate change models), that could result in further lowering of the Lake Powell water level and changes to the current water management plans. Fluctuations in water levels and change of river courses are a common occurrence seen in the geologic record of rivers. Looking somewhat like a donut or automobile tire from the vantage point of the space station, the Rincon (center) is an entrenched and abandoned meander, or loop, of the Colorado River, thought to have formed several thousand years ago when the river cut straight across the ends of the loop and shortened its course by six miles. The resulting canyon and 600 ? 750 feet-high central mesa indicate where the river used to flow. The term ?Rincon? also is used by geomorphologists to describe similar ancient river features observed elsewhere. The Goosenecks of the San Juan River are an example of an active entrenched meander.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 25 crew

ISS025-E-005504 (30 Sept. 2010) --- Syr Dar’ya River floodplain in Kazakhstan, central Asia is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 25 crew member on the International Space Station. Central Asia’s most important cotton-growing region is concentrated in the floodplain of the Syr Dar’ya, and is irrigated by water from the river. The floodplain is shown here as a tangle of twisting meanders and loops (center). The darkest areas are brushy vegetation along the present course (filled with blue-green water); wisps of vegetation are also visible along flanking swampy depressions, or sloughs. An older floodplain appears as an area of more diffuse dark vegetation (upper left), where a pattern of relict meander bends is overlain by a rectangular pattern of cotton fields. The straight channel of a new diversion canal—one of sixteen from this point downstream—can be seen along the east bank of the river. The older floodplain area is fed from the Chardara Reservoir immediately upstream (not shown). Half the river flow is controlled from reservoirs, and half from direct water take-off from canals. By contrast with the intensive agricultural use of water shown here, upstream water control in the mountain valleys is oriented more toward power generation. The river flows for a total distance of 2,200 kilometers from the Tien Shan Mountains westward and northwestward to the Aral Sea—the dying waterbody at the low point of the basin far to the northwest. Withdrawals of water from the river for agriculture have continued for many decades. Although the Syr Dar’ya is the second largest river flowing into the sea, its discharge is not very large. As such, it has been easily depleted, with none of its water today reaching the Aral Sea. Control of the river is vested in the Syr Dar’ya Basin Water Organization run by nations with territory in the Syr Dar’ya basin. Some of the organization’s main efforts are accurate gauging of water use along the river course, and repair of canals to reduce widespread water loss by leakage.

Kimberley, Orange Free State, South Africa

STS072-727-059 (11-20 Jan. 1996) --- Plains of the Orange Free State, South Africa are featured in this 70mm frame exposed from the Space Shuttle Endeavour. If the photograph is oriented with the largest clouds at the top edge, so that the cloud shadows fall to the upper right of each cloud, then north is to the top. The Vaal River flows along the top and through the upper left of the photograph; the reservoir of the Bloemhofdam on the Sand River can be seen between clouds at the upper right of the photograph. Kimberley can be seen as a gray smudge southeast of a contorted set of bends in the Vaal river (upper left center). With high magnification four dark dots, large open-pit mine shafts, can be seen within the gray smudge of the city. Kimberley, the capital of Northern Cape Province, was founded in 1878 after the discovery of diamonds in 1969 - 71, and reached by railway in 1885. Diamond mining and gem cutting remain prominent in the economy. The reddish soil and scattered salt pans (playa lakes) across the plateau suggest the semi-arid climate, suitable for cattle ranching. Reservoirs on most streams now provide water for the towns as well as irrigation for agriculture.

SWOT Above Earth (Illustration)

This illustration depicts the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, a mission led by NASA and the French space agency Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES). The scientific heart of the SWOT satellite is the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) instrument, which will measure the height of water in Earth's lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and ocean. To do that, KaRIn will transmit radar pulses to Earth's surface and use two antennas – seen to the left and right of the spacecraft bus – to triangulate the return signals that bounce back. Mounted at the ends of a boom 33 feet (10 meters) long, the antennas will collect data over two swaths of Earth's surface at a time, each of them 30 miles (50 kilometers) wide and located on either side of the satellite. KaRIn will operate in two modes: A lower-resolution mode over the ocean will involve significant onboard processing of the data to reduce the volume of information sent during downlinks to Earth; a higher-resolution mode will be used mainly over land. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25621

SWOT in Orbit With View of KaRIn Instrument (Illustration)

This illustration depicts the Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite, a mission led by NASA and the French space agency Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES). The scientific heart of the SWOT satellite is the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) instrument, which will measure the height of water in Earth's lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and ocean. To do that, KaRIn will transmit radar pulses to Earth's surface and use two antennas – seen to the left and right of the spacecraft bus – to triangulate the return signals that bounce back. Mounted at the ends of a boom 33 feet (10 meters) long, the antennas will collect data over two swaths of Earth's surface at a time, each of them 30 miles (50 kilometers) wide and located on either side of the satellite. KaRIn will operate in two modes: A lower-resolution mode over the ocean will involve significant onboard processing of the data to reduce the volume of information sent during downlinks to Earth; a higher-resolution mode will be used mainly over land. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24530

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 23 Crew

ISS023-E-035670 (8 May 2010) --- Mingachevir Reservoir, Azerbaijan is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 23 crew member on the International Space Station. This detailed photograph highlights the southern Mingachevir Reservoir located in north-central Azerbaijan. The Mingachevir Reservoir occupies part of the Kura Basin, a topographic depression located between the Greater Caucasus Mountains to the northeast and the Lesser Caucasus Mountains to the southwest. According to scientists, folded layers of relatively young (less than 5.3 million years old) sedimentary rock, explosive volcanic products (ash and tuff), and unconsolidated sediments form the gray hills along the northern and southern shorelines of the reservoir (center and right). Afternoon sun highlights distinctive parallel patterns in the hills that are the result of water and wind erosion of different stratigraphic layers exposed at the surface. The nearby city of Mingachevir (left) is split by the Kur River after it passes through the dam and hydroelectric power station complex at top center. The current city was built in support of the hydroelectric power station constructed as part of the then Soviet Union?s energy infrastructure for the region. Today, Mingachevir is the fourth largest city in Azerbaijan (by population) and has become a cultural and economic center of the country. The reservoir held approximately 15 billion cubic meters of water at the time this image was taken, with a total engineered capacity of 16 billion cubic meters. The width of the reservoir illustrated here is approximately 8 kilometers; a jet flying over the reservoir and its contrail are visible midway between the opposing shorelines.

Apollo 9 Mission image - S0-65 Multispectral Photography - Mississippi

AS09-26A-3743A (9 March 1969) --- Color infrared photograph of the Yazoo River Valley, Pearl River, Pearl River Reservoir, and Jackson, Mississippi, area, taken on March 9, 1969, by one of the four synchronized cameras of the Apollo 9 Earth Resources Survey SO65 Experiment. At 1:08 p.m. (EST) when this photograph was made the Apollo 9 spacecraft was at an altitude of 105 nautical miles, and the sun elevation was at 55 degrees above the horizon. The location of the point on Earth's surface at which the four-camera combination was aimed was 32 degrees 34 minutes north latitude, and 89 degrees 57 minutes west longitude. The other three cameras used: (B) black and white film with a red filter; (C) black and white infrared film; and (D) black and white film with a green filter.

SWOT Spacecraft Arrival

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 16, 2022. SWOT is the first mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. The satellite is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Center-4 East. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.

Klamath River, OR and CA

By August, 2024, the four dams blocking the flow of the Klamath River in California and Oregon were removed. After more than 100 years, nearly 640 km of salmon habitat were restored. Two of the dams and their reservoirs, Copco 1 and Copco 2 in northern California, are shown before and after removal. The images were acquired July 18, 2024 and August 15, 2020, cover an area of 16.5 by 22.5 km, and are located at 42.1 degrees north, 122.2 degrees west. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26448

SpaceX SWOT GSE Arrival

The ground service equipment for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 13, 2022. SWOT is the first mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. The satellite is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Center-4 East. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.

ISS028-E-018657 (23 July 2011) --? One of the Expedition 28 crew members aboard the International Space Station photographed this northward looking view featuring the reservoir of Cahora Bassa in extreme western Mozambique, formed by damming the Zambezi River. Also visible are numerous plumes from fires in the wooded plateau region north of the lake on the Mozambique-Zambia frontier.

Earth Observation

SpaceX SWOT GSE Arrival

The ground service equipment for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 13, 2022. SWOT is the first mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. The satellite is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Center-4 East. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.

SWOT Spacecraft Arrival

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 16, 2022. SWOT is the first mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. The satellite is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Center-4 East. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.

SpaceX SWOT GSE Arrival

The ground service equipment for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 13, 2022. SWOT is the first mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. The satellite is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Center-4 East. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.

SpaceX SWOT GSE Arrival

The ground service equipment for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 13, 2022. SWOT is the first mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. The satellite is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Center-4 East. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.

SWOT Spacecraft Arrival

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 16, 2022. SWOT is the first mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. The satellite is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Center-4 East. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.

SpaceX SWOT GSE Arrival

The ground service equipment for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 13, 2022. SWOT is the first mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. The satellite is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Center-4 East. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.

SWOT Spacecraft Arrival

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 16, 2022. SWOT is the first mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. The satellite is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Center-4 East. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.

Earth Observations taken by Expedition 30 crewmember

ISS030-E-059433 (19 Jan. 2012) --- Ice cover on Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 30 crew member on the International Space Station. This striking photograph illustrates the harsh winter conditions frequently experienced in North Dakota. Ice covers the surface of northwestern Lake Sakakawea, a reservoir on the Missouri River in west-central North Dakota. A local weather station near New Town, ND reported an air temperature of approximately -24 °C (-11 °F), with a wind chill of approximately -32 °C (-25 °F) at 10:36 local time – six minutes before the image was taken. In addition to the grey ice on the lake, a dusting of white snow highlights agricultural fields to the north and northeast, as well as fissures and irregularities in the ice surfaces. For a sense of scale, the arms of the lake to either side of New Town are approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) apart. Lake Sakakawea is named—in the Hidatsa language—for the Shoshone woman generally known as Sacagawea, or “Bird Woman”. She accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805–1806 as an interpreter and guide. The lake was created following the completion of Garrison Dam (not shown) on the Missouri River in 1954. With a surface area of approximately 148,924 hectares (368,000 acres) and length of 286 kilometers (178 miles), Lake Sakakawea is one of the largest artificial reservoirs in the USA.

Nile River, Lake Nasser, Aswan Dam, Egypt

Egypt's High Aswan Dam on the Nile River at the first cataracts, Nile River, (24.0N, 33.0E) was completed in 1971 to provide cheap hydroelectric power and to regulate the historically uneven flow of the Nile River. The contrast between the largely base rock desert east of the Nile versus the sand covered desert west of the river and the ancient irrigated floodplain downstream from the damsite is clearly shown.

S73-34295A

S73-34295A (June 1973) --- A vertical view of a portion of northern California reproduced from data taken from the Skylab Multispectral Scanner, experiment S192, in the Skylab space station in Earth orbit. This view is the most westerly one-third of Frame No. 001, Roll No. 518, S192, Skylab 2. Frame No. 001 extends from the Pacific coast at the Eureka area southeasterly 175 nautical miles to the Feather River drainage basin. Included in this view are Sacramento River Valley, Oroville Reservoir, Oroville and Chico. This non-photographic image is a color composite of channels 2 (visible), 7 and 12 (infrared) from the Earth Resources Experiments Package (EREP) S192 scanner. The scanner techniques assist with spectral signature identification and mapping of ground truth targets in agriculture, forestry, geology, hydrology and oceanography. Photo credit: NASA

Earth Observations taken by Expedition 38 crewmember

ISS038-E-023651 (26 Dec. 2013) --- Lake Sharpe near Lower Brule, South Dakota is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 38 crew member on the International Space Station. The Missouri River rises in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana, and flows generally to the southeast for approximately 3,767 kilometers (2,341 miles) to its confluence with the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Missouri -- making it the longest river in North America. The river does not follow a straight southeasterly course along this distance, but includes may meander bends such as illustrated in this photograph. This particular bend is occupied by Lake Sharpe, an approximately 130-kilometer (80 miles) long reservoir formed behind the Big Bend Dam on the Missouri River. The lake surface is frozen and covered with snow, presenting a uniform white appearance in the image. As meander bends develop, they tend to assume a distinctive U-shape when viewed from above. Over time, the river channel can continue to cut into the ends of the "U", eventually bringing them so close together that the river then cuts across the gap to achieve a shorter flow path, essentially short-circuiting or cutting off the meander bend. When this happens and the meander ceases to be part of the active river channel, it may become an oxbow lake. The distance across the narrow neck of land (lower right) associated with this meander near Lower Brule, South Dakota is approximately one kilometer (0.62 miles); however, as the river flow is controlled by the Big Bend Dam downstream, the natural process of meander cutoff has been significantly slowed. The snow cover also highlights circular agricultural fields on the small peninsula within the meander bend. This type of field indicates center-pivot irrigation, where water is distributed from a central point radially outwards using sprinklers to cover the field area. Crops grown here include corn and soybeans according to data from the US Department of Agriculture's CropScape database.

SWOT Prelaunch

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) spacecraft onboard is seen as preparations for launch continue, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Jointly developed by NASA and Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and United Kingdom Space Agency, SWOT is the first satellite mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

Space shuttle Atlantis preparing to dock with Mir space station

NM18-309-018 (28 June 1995) --- The Space Shuttle Atlantis orbits Earth at a point above Iraq as photographed by one of the Mir-18 crew members aboard Russia's Mir Space Station. The image was photographed prior to rendezvous and docking of the two spacecraft. The Spacelab science module and the tunnel connecting it to the crew cabin, as well as the added mechanism for interface with the Mir's docking system can be easily seen. The geography pictured is 60 miles northwest of Baghdad. The Buhayrat Ath Tharthar (reservoir) is the widest body of water visible. Also seen are the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

SWOT Rollout

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) spacecraft onboard is seen as it rolls out to the pad, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, at Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Jointly developed by NASA and Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and United Kingdom Space Agency, SWOT is the first satellite mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

SWOT Rollout

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) spacecraft onboard is seen as it rolls out to the pad, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, at Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Jointly developed by NASA and Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and United Kingdom Space Agency, SWOT is the first satellite mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)