Exploring Earth from Spaceteacherlink.ed.usu.edu/.../Exploring.Earth.From.Space.pdfOne factor influencing weather is the difference in the heat-holding capacities of land and water

Educational Product

Educators Grades 5–12National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Exploring Earth from SpaceWith International Space Station (ISS) EarthKAM Photography

Lithograph Set and Instructional Materials

Students participating in NASA’s ISS EarthKAM (International Space Station Earth Knowl-edge Acquired by Middle School Students) program have taken thousands of photographs ofEarth from space. Photographs taken by the ISS EarthKAM program offer a compelling,inquiry-based avenue for students and teachers to explore and better understand Earth.

This guide suggests a variety of ways in which ISS EarthKAM photographs can be integratedinto inquiry-based learning activities that enhance the learning and teaching of science, geog-raphy, mathematics, and technology.

This Exploring Earth from Space lithograph set includes the following:

• Educator’s guide with student information sheet and worksheet

• 14 lithographs:

ISS EarthKAM Photography

Earth Features Seen from Space

Andalusia, Spain

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Cloud Patterns

Colorado River

Creative Agriculture in Response to Limited Water

Ganges River Delta

Gazankulu Homeland, South Africa

Nile River Delta

Northeast Coast of Australia

Rio Salado, Argentina

San Jose, California

Tibetan Plateau

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Guide 2/25/03, 3:23 PM1

IntroductionNASA’s ISS EarthKAM program offers a unique opportunity for students across the United States andaround the world to take images of Earth from space. Using the tools of modern technology—including theInternet and a digital camera mounted on the International Space Station (ISS)—EarthKAM students areable to take stunning, high-quality photographs of our planet. This lithograph set includes a sampling ofthese ISS EarthKAM images.

This guide provides suggestions for introducing space-based photographs of Earth to students, shows howto identify and analyze key features within these lithograph images, and outlines a variety of activitiesthat can be integrated into the teaching of science, geography, mathematics, and technology.

Understanding ISS EarthKAM PhotographyMore information about how the images are taken is available on the ISS EarthKAM Camera lithograph.Many more images, as well as education support materials and information describing how to participatein the ISS EarthKAM program, are available on the Web at http://www.earthkam.ucsd.edu

Familiarizing Yourself with ISS EarthKAM LithographsWe recommend that you spend time examining the lithographs—identi-fying features, locating them on maps, asking questions, and so on—before introducing them to your class. The Earth Features Seen fromSpace lithograph and the student sheets are helpful guides. Visit theEducators section of the ISS EarthKAM Web site (www.earthkam.ucsd.edu)for additional support in exploring the images, including answers to thequestions posed on the back of each lithograph.

Introducing ISS EarthKAM Lithographs to StudentsWhen presenting the lithographs to students, explain that they are visible- light photographs taken from the ISS orthe Space Shuttle. Emphasize that the photographs were taken by students just like themselves who haveparticipated in the ISS EarthKAM program.

Explore a PhotographHave students explore a lithograph in detail. The Exploring Earth from Space worksheet, located at the endof this guide, offers a series of questions that will help students discover information from the image. Tofoster an open-ended, inquiry-style experience, tell students not to read the back of the lithographs untilyou direct them. This approach fosters student creativity and improves critical observation skills. Encour-age students to use atlases and other reference materials to enhance their exploration of the photograph.

Brainstorm QuestionsAs students work with the lithographs, prompt them to write down questions and ideas generated as a resultof their exploration. Working with Earth photographs involves asking questions about a) what is there,b) why it is there, c) how did it get there, d) what effects it has, and e) what this suggests about an area ortopic. These questions often serve as the basis for further study of other images. This brainstorming ismost successful if done as a class or group discussion.

2 – Exploring Earth from SpaceWith ISS EarthKAM Photography

Guide 2/25/03, 3:23 PM2

Integrating ISS EarthKAM Lithographs into Your CurriculumEarth photographs can spark student interest, be sources of questions and information, serve as startingpoints for inquiry-based studies of Earth, and be used in student assessment. Many topics for study arepossible with these lithographs, as well as with the thousands of images available through the ISSEarthKAM Web site located at http://www.earthkam.ucsd.edu. Outlined below are ideas for using ISSEarthKAM imagery to enhance your curriculum.

Map Skills and Geographic AnalysisStudents can use the latitude and longitude coordinates provided with each image to determine theimage’s location on a world atlas. They can match the features in the photographs to the same features inatlases. Students can create a classroom bulletin board by mounting the lithographs around a world mapand then using string to connect each lithograph to the corresponding location(s) on the map. What partsof the world are shown in the photographs? What human and physical characteristics can be identifiedfrom maps of the photographed regions? What types of informationdo images of Earth provide that maps do not?

Land Use and AgricultureImages of Earth from space show how agriculture shapes Earth’ssurface. Rio Salado, Creative Agriculture, Buenos Aires, NortheastCoast of Australia, and Nile River Delta show different types andpatterns of agriculture. Students can consider both the importanceand the impact of agriculture. They can look at the relationshipsamong agricultural lands, natural vegetation, water sources, and cities. Where does agriculture occur?Why is it located in some areas, but not others? What are the patterns and shapes of agriculture? Whatfactors cause these observed patterns and shapes? How does agricultural development affect naturalecosystems?

Land Use and ConservationHuman use of the environment, as well as efforts to protect and conserve environments from humaninfluence, can be seen in the lithographs. Gazankulu Homeland, Ganges River Delta, and Andalusia, Spainall show side-by-side areas of settlement and conservation. This type of visual information gives studentsa context for studying conservation issues and human geography. How do the protected lands appeardifferent from the unprotected lands? What are the borders between them like? What types of land areprotected? Why are these lands protected? For what are the nonprotected lands used?

CulturesEarth photographs can be used as an entry point into the study of regional culture and history. GazankuluHomeland shows a visual contrast between rural settlements and a national park. What were the socialand political factors that led to this settlement pattern? How are these factors different today? Urban areasare a reflection of the cultures that build them. Close study of Buenos Aires shows a city with docks,streets, airports, parks, and racetracks. What do the people of Buenos Aires do for work and forrecreation?

3 – Exploring Earth from Space With ISS EarthKAM Photography

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RiversRivers, vital parts of the water cycle and major shapers of Earth’s surface, are particularly visible whenviewed from space. Students can observe variations in river form, how rivers are a cause and a reflectionof a given area’s landscape, and how humans use and affect rivers; they can also compare different typesof drainage systems. They can compare the deltas in Ganges River Delta, Buenos Aires, and Nile River Delta.Prominent rivers are visible in Rio Salado, Creative Agriculture, Andalusia, Spain, and Colorado River. Whatdo rivers look like and why? What colors are rivers in the lithographs and why are there differences? Whydo some rivers meander, while others follow a more direct path?

Geologic Features and ProcessesMany types of geologic features and processes can be observed from the perspective of space. The SanAndreas Fault slices a straight line across the San Jose lithograph. What do fault lines look like? Volcanism,folding, and differential erosion are visible in Colorado River. Students can sometimes identifysedimentary and igneous rock formations in the lithographs. They can compare sedimentary landformsin Colorado River to igneous or metamorphic landforms in Northeast Coast of Australia or San Jose. How dosedimentary rocks appear to erode compared to igneous rocks? How are volcanic mountains shapedcompared to other types of mountains?

Atmospheric ProcessesOne factor influencing weather is the difference in the heat-holding capacities ofland and water. Students can observe the location of clouds in relation to landmasses and water in Cloud Patterns, and they can develop explanations for theirobservations. Students can also download current images of clouds from weathersites on the Web to expand their study of weather patterns and phenomena.

Change over Time and SpacePhotographs of Earth taken from space offer compelling visual information that can be used to studychanges over time. By comparing photographs of the same area taken at different times, students cananalyze such things as seasonal and human-caused changes. Tibetan Plateau shows images taken 10months apart. What has changed between these two images? Are these changes surprising? What featureshave changed? Students can use Web resources to find additional images of the areas shown in theselithographs to observe change over longer periods of time. How do rivers change on a seasonal basis?How much have cities or agricultural regions grown or shrunk over time?

MathematicsThe ISS EarthKAM lithographs offer practical, real-life opportunities for students to learn many mathskills, including measurement, proportionality, scale, and graphing. Students can use the dimensions ofthe photographs to create a scale bar and measure the size of objects. How long is the dam and how largeare the agricultural fields in the Rio Salado lithograph? What is the area of the Nile River Delta? What isthe average population density of Buenos Aires? The back of the Buenos Aires lithograph states that thecity is home to about 13 million people, and students can estimate the size of the city from thephotograph. What is the scale of the photograph? How does this scale compare to the scale of an atlas?How large are various features? What is the relative size of different features?


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Supplemental ResourcesISS EarthKAM images are only one of many available types of Earth imagery. This guide and the Exploring Earth

from Space Worksheet can be used with images and remotely sensed data of Earth taken from space by other instru-

ments. These sources of information can help you find additional images and resources for use in your classroom.

Also check your local library, the Web, and your NASA Educator Resource Center.

BooksEarth from Space: An excellent introduction to studying Earth using various types of images. Text by Dr. Amy Leventer

and Dr. Geoffrey Seltzer, National Audubon Society Pocket Guide, Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. ISBN 0679760571.

Looking at Earth: Topographical portrait of Earth, organized by region, including stunning visual photographs collected byspacecraft and remote-sensing equipment. Priscilla Strain and Frederick Engle, National Air and Space MuseumSmithsonian Institution and Turner Pub. ISBN 1878685163. (Out of print.)

Mission: Earth, Voyage to the Home Planet: A first-hand account of an astronaut’s journey on the Space ShuttleEndeavour recounts his mission to study the health of the planet. Thomas D. Jones and June A. English, Scholastic Press,1996. ISBN 0590485717.

National Geographic Satellite Atlas of the World: In this unique atlas, remotely sensed photographs (of all types), maps,and information are interconnected and organized by geographic region. National Geographic Society, 1998. ISBN0792272161.

Orbit: NASA Astronauts Photograph the Earth: High quality photographs taken by Shuttle astronauts. J. Apt, M. Helfert,J. Wilkinson, R. Ressmeyer, National Geographic Society, 1996. ISBN 0792237145.

Seeing Earth from Space: This book begins with photographs of Earth taken from the Moon and then moves on tophotographs taken by astronauts orbiting the planet. Patricia Lauber, Orchard Books, 1990. ISBN 0531059022.

The Third Planet: Astronaut Sally Ride looks back at Earth, showing what the view reveals about our planet’s environmentand humanity’s impact on it. Sally Ride and Tam O’Shaughnessy, Crown Publishers, 1994. ISBN 0517593610.

Web SitesEarthRISE: Photographs of Earth taken by Shuttle astronauts. They can be searched by key word (Form) and by map

(Political and Topographical). http://earthrise.space.com/

Johnson Space Center Earth from Space: Many of the best astronaut-acquired photographs of Earth. Photographs can besearched easily by areas of interest: cities, weather, features, technical, and others. http://earth.jsc.nasa.gov

ISS EarthKAM: ISS EarthKAM photographs, including those in this lithograph set, as well as educator guides, activities,and other classroom materials are available at this Web site. Go to the Datasystem to search the photographs.http://www.earthkam.ucsd.edu

Mission Geography: Curriculum materials that link the content, skills, and perspectives of Geography for Life: The NationalGeography Standards with the missions, research, and science of NASA. http://missiongeography.org/

NASA Education Home Page: Gateway to information regarding educational programs and services offered by NASA foreducators and students across the United States. http://education.nasa.gov/

NASA Office of Earth Science: NASA site focusing on our home planet. Details on current events in Earth science, NASAEarth science missions, Earth images, and educator resources. http://www.earth.nasa.gov

NASA Office of Space Flight: Information on the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, Mir Space Station, rocketlaunches, and other programs that are exploring, using, and enabling the development of space.http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/

NASA Spacelink: Specifically for the educational community, Spacelink provides links to virtually every one of NASA’s Websites and resources, including programs, educator materials and opportunities, and current events.http://spacelink.nasa.gov

Terraserver: Terraserver has a collection of very high-resolution aerial photographs and satellite images. You can orderprints of individual images. Search by name, map, or latitude and longitude coordinates. http://www.terraserver.com


Guide 2/25/03, 3:24 PM5

Exploring Earth from SpaceStudent Information SheetStudents who participated in NASA’s ISS EarthKAM (International Space Station Earth Knowledge Ac-quired by Middle School Students) program have taken thousands of photographs of Earth from space.Using the tools of modern technology—including the Internet and a digital camera mounted on the Inter-national Space Station—EarthKAM students are able to take stunning, high-quality photographs of ourplanet.

You will be closely studying ISS EarthKAM photographs that were taken from either the InternationalSpace Station or the Space Shuttle. Before beginning your exploration of these photographs, you need tolearn a few facts about photographs from space so that you can better understand what you see.

Earth FeaturesYou can identify human and physical features by examining their appearance in the photographs and com-paring them to maps of the same area. In addition, many features are identified in the labeled image locatedon the back of each lithograph. The Earth Features Seen from Space lithograph identifies features like thoseshown below. Use it as an identification guide as you study other photographs of Earth from space.

agriculture beaches urban areas delta

ColorsThe photographs you will be exploring are all visible-light images—they show what your eyes can natu-rally see. However, the processing and printing of the photographs has changed the colors slightly; theyappear somewhat redder than they should.

Colors on the Photograph: Can Indicate:

blues water

black, dark blue, or dark green vegetation

white clouds, snow, or human impacts

red, orange, peach, or brown ground, soil, or sediment


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Image Identification NumberEach ISS EarthKAM photograph has its own image identification number. These numbers contain infor-mation about how and when the photograph was taken. The identification system for images taken fromthe International Space Station differs from the identification system for images taken from the SpaceShuttle. Each part of the ID number is described below.

International Space Station Space Shuttle

ISS 004 . ESC 2 . 066 10 36 26 STS 089 . ESC . 07 15 41 37Mission and Camera Identification Mission and Camera Identification

ISS International Space Station STS Space Shuttle

004 Crew Number 089 Mission Number

ESC Electronic Still Camera ESC Electronic Still Camera

2 ISS EarthKAM mission number for this ISS crew

Time of image in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Time of image after launch of Space Shuttle

066 Day of the year image was taken 07 Days

10 Hours (GMT) 15 Hours

36 Minutes (GMT) 41 Minutes

26 Seconds (GMT) 37 Seconds

Image ID numbers should be recorded for any photograph studied.

LocationLatitude and longitude are provided on the back of each lithograph. These coor-dinates pinpoint the center of the photograph and locate the area on Earth.Latitude and longitude can also be used to find locations on maps. Smallmaps also appear on the back of each lithograph to help find the image’s gen-eral location. By comparing the photograph and maps, you can identify the fea-tures and learn about the area within as well as surrounding the photograph.

ScaleThe scale of an ISS EarthKAM photograph depends on thecamera and lens used and the altitude of the ISS or SpaceShuttle when the photograph was taken. The back of the litho-graphs provide the exact dimensions for each image.

NorthThe top of the page on the colored side of the lithograph is NOT necessarily north. The back side of mostlithographs shows the photograph rotated to put north at the top. Knowing which way is north helps toalign the photographs with maps and to identify features on the image.

78.88 km

118.

02 km


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Exploring Earth from Space WorksheetName _________________________

Directions: Answer these questions as you examine an ISS EarthKAM lithograph provided by your teacher.1. Lithograph title: _______________________________________________________________________

2. Describe the image:a. What shapes, colors, and patterns do you see?b. What features, such as rivers, mountains, or cities, can you identify?c. What questions do you have about what you see?

Directions: Record the following data using information provided on the back side of the lithograph.1. Image ID #: ___________________________________________________________________________

2. Center latitude: _________________________ Center longitude: _____________________________

3. Examine the annotated photograph and read the description. What facts, features, or aspects interest you the most? Why?

Directions: Use the information recorded above and resources such as atlases to answer the following questions.1. Describe the location of the photograph so that someone else could find it on Earth:

a. What country/countries does it show?b. What specific features can be identified?c. What does the surrounding area look like; what does it contain; and how is it used?

2. What questions do you now have about this photograph?

Guide 2/25/03, 3:24 PM8

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1.W

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-2002-12-003-HQ

Fold along line and tape closed.

18700Earthkam Reply 2/25/03 2:25 PM Page 2

Please PlaceStamp HerePost Office

Will Not DeliverWithout Proper

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18700Earthkam Reply 2/25/03 2:25 PM Page 1

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Tibetan Plateau

40 kilometers

January 13, 1997

Lake Raksas

a. Lake Manasarowar

b. white patterns

Maquan River

March 23, 1996

Why is there less snow around the lake?

Why is one side of the lake bluer than the other?

c. Gurla Mandhata

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Latitude: 30.5˚ N Longitude: 81.7˚ EDate: March, 23 1996 (left), January 13, 1997 (right)Image ID #: STS076.ESC.00212429 (left),STS081.ESC.00212631 (right)

Tibetan Plateau

These images of Lake Manasarowar (a) on theTibetan Plateau illustrate how images from spacecan show changes in weather. Taken on differentShuttle flights and cropped to show the samearea, the pair of images reveals the impact ofweather on the region.

Tibet has a cold, dry climate, making it oneof the harshest places to live. The average annualtemperature is 1 °C (34 °F), and temperatures inthe mountains and plateaus are especially cold.Most of the rainfall occurs between June andSeptember, when temperatures are slightlywarmer. Strong winds are common year-round.The March 1996 image shows large amounts ofsnow that fell during unusually strong blizzards inthe previous months. The January 1997 imageshows a more typical dry and cold winter.

At an altitude of 4,727 m (15,510 ft), LakeManasarowar is one of the highest freshwaterlakes in the world. Lake Manasarowar’s water supply comes from glaciers on the Himalayan peakGurla Mandhata (c) and the Kailash Range. Bothimages capture interesting white patterns (b) in thelake. These cracked patterns form when slabs of ice,pushed by wind, collide with one another. Driftingsnow can then accumulate at the junctions.

Additional information:ISS EarthKAM images and lessons:

http://www.earthkam.ucsd.eduNASA Spacelink:

http://spacelink.nasa.gov

LG–2002–12–555–HQ

60 kilometers

N

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration San Jose, California

airport

e. San Andreas Fault

c. Santa Cruz Mountains

Can you tell what time ofday it is from the shadowson the mountains?

d. Coyote River

Why is the city located in a valley?

b. Santa Clara Valley

a. San Jose


Latitude: 37.2˚ N Longitude: 121.9˚ WDate: February 8, 2002Image ID #: ISS004.ESC1.039234904

San Jose, California

San Jose (a), California, is the 11th largest city inthe United States with a population of 894,943(2000). San Jose’s economic development begana century ago with processing the agriculturalproducts of the fertile Santa Clara Valley (b).However, in the last 25 years, high-tech computer-related industries have concentrated in the SanJose region, earning it the nickname SiliconValley. Today, more and more areas of the SantaClara Valley are being used for urban purposes.

The metamorphic and sedimentary rocks ofthe Santa Cruz Mountains (c) have washed downas sediments carried by rivers and streams,including Coyote River (d), to produce the richsoils of the Santa Clara Valley. This is a geologi-cally active, earthquake-prone region. It is criss-crossed by a series of active fault lines, includingthe San Andreas Fault (e).

Water is very important to San Jose for agri-culture, industry, and municipal purposes. TheAnderson Reservoir (f), built in 1949, serves asone of a linked system of water storage lakesused to recharge groundwater and to provide thegrowing urban population with drinking water.




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f. Anderson Reservoir

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Rió Salado, Argentina

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Rió Salado, Argentina

LG-1999-05-506-HQ

Cultivated fields create the main visualpattern for this image, which is located innorthern Argentina at the foothills of theAndes Mountains (a). This is one of the newregions of rapid development in Argentina.The pattern of yellow-tan rectangles—largeagricultural fields (b)—suggests that thefields are corporate agriculture, not smallindependent farms. The agriculture extendsnorth of the Rió Salado (c) and follows themain road north to Bolivia.

There is a finer structure on the largerfields—possibly smaller plots planted in thesame crop. The fields decrease in size andchange shape toward the river. The pattern oflong, skinny plots radiating from the river (d)indicates that water access and river frontproperty are high priorities, and that watercontrol is an important regional issue. TheRió Salado also has a reservoir (e) near onecorner of the image. Several smaller rivers (f)cut across the image. The dark region to thewest and northwest is mostly forested,undeveloped land (g).

Latitude: 25.31o S Longitude: 64.29o WDate: October 4, 1997Type of Image: EarthKAMImage ID #: STS086.ESC.08162147

Additional information:EarthKAM images and lessons:

http://www.earthkam.ucsd.eduJSC Earth From Space image database:

http://earth.jsc.nasa.govNASA Spacelink:


b. large agricultural fieldsWhy are they differentcolors?

d. long, skinnyagricultural plots

f. smaller riversWhy are these small rivers sobright? (Think about what theriver bed might be made of.)

g. forested, undeveloped landWhy are these areasuncultivated?

How does the agriculture near theriver differ from agriculture awayfrom the river?79.33 Kilom

eters

118.

69 K

ilom

eter

s

a. foothills of theAndes Mountains

c. Rió Salado

e. reservoir

What is the importance ofwater to this area?

dam

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Northeast Coast of Australia

78.88 Kilometers

118.

02 K

ilom

eter

s

a. Queensland

b. Connors Range

c. Pacific Oceane. Mackay

f. mangroves(dark vegetation)

g. hypersaline areas(light regions)

h. UmberlandIslands

Why are Mackay and thesurrounding agriculturehere?

clouds(note theshadows)

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Northeast Coast of Australia

LG-1999-05-503-HQ

This part of northeastern Australia along thecoast of Queensland (a) shows variabletopography and landcover. The elevation in theimage drops from between 2500 and 3500 feetin the Connors Range (b) to sea level at thePacific Ocean (c). Because this region receivessome of the highest rainfall in Australia, themountains are heavily eroded and gullied andcovered in forest. The afternoon sunlighthighlights the shape of the mountains and riverdrainage network through them. The rainfall isseasonal, however, and this image was takenduring the dry season. Tell-tale rectangularland-use patterns along the coastal plainindicate extensive agriculture (d), primarilysugar and cotton. The gray region at thenorthern end of the coastline is the small city ofMackay (e). In the southern part of the image,the irregular coastline is fringed with darkvegetation, probably mangroves (f), and lightregions, possibly hypersaline areas (g) in theupper reaches of the coastal tidal flats. Sedi-ment suspended in the coastal waters trace thetidal and nearshore currents and createpatterns offshore around the small islands (h).

Latitude: 21.42o S Longitude: 149.32o EDate: October 4, 1997Type of Image: EarthKAMImage ID #: STS086.ESC.08023638





d. agricultural fieldsWhy are the agricul-tural fields arrangedas they are?

Why does the waterappear to be differentcolors?

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Nile River Delta

b. Mediterranean Sea

d. Rosetta Branch

f. Alexandria

What factors influence the location ofagriculture?

c. Cairo

a. Nile River

g. Suez Canal

What are the graypatches inside theNile River Delta?

e. DamiettaBranch

Why does the color ofthe water change here?


Latitude: 30.85˚ N Longitude: 31.01˚ EDate: March 6, 2002Image ID #: ISS004.ESC2.066103626,ISS004.ESC2.066103641, and ISS004.ESC2.066103655

Nile River Delta

The Nile River (a) is the longest river in the world.From its major source, Lake Victoria, the riverextends 5,589 kilometers (3,437 miles) beforeemptying into the Mediterranean Sea (b). Justnorth of Egypt’s capital city, Cairo (c), the NileRiver divides into two main branches, theRosetta Branch (d) and the Damietta Branch (e).These two branches spread apart to form the tri-angular Nile Delta. The Nile Delta is predominantlyagricultural; half its occupants are farmers whodepend upon the waters of the Nile to irrigatetheir crops. Average farm size is about 8,000square meters. The dark color of the irrigateddelta farmland contrasts starkly with the arid yel-low of the surrounding desert.

Gray patches seen throughout the delta aredensely populated settlements. The even distri-bution of the settlements shows the human ten-dency to organize spatially in regular patterns.Alexandria (f), founded in 332 B.C. by Alexanderthe Great, is Egypt’s largest seaport. More than80 percent of Egypt’s imports and exports passthrough Alexandria. The Suez Canal (g) is an artificial waterway connecting the MediterraneanSea with the Gulf of Suez. The canal is 195 kilo-meters (121 miles) in length and has a minimumchannel width of 60 meters (200 feet).




144 kilometers

217

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N

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration ISS EarthKAM Photography

International Space StationThe International Spaces Station (ISS)is the result of an unprecedented inter-national collaboration. Fifteen countriesare partners in the design, develop-ment, operation, and use of the Station.Today, ISS is the largest laboratory everbuilt in space. The Station and its crewdraw from the resources and scientificknowledge of multiple countries to per-form state-of-the art research in aspace environment.

On May 6, 2001, the ISS EarthKAMElectronic Still Camera (ESC) was setup on the ISS. The next few weekswere used for intensive testing of thecamera and flight software’s interactionwith its new home on the ISS. Duringthe first year of operation, ISS EarthKAMcaptured over 2,000 images.

Within the ISS, EarthKAM is housedin the U.S. Destiny Laboratory. The alu-minum lab, 28 feet long by 14 feetwide, is composed of three cylindricalsections and two end-cones used toconnect the lab to the other stationcomponents. The ISS EarthKAM camera points out the nadir window, a50.9-centimeter-diameter optical-qualityglass window that points directlytoward Earth’s surface. After its installa-tion, ISS EarthKAM will be one of thefirst payloads mounted on the WindowObservational Research Facility(WORF), a special rack for mountingsensors to the nadir window.

ISS EarthKAM’s permanent home onthe Space Station has innumerable

effects on the study of Earth science.Images taken by ISS EarthKAM on themore recent flights show drasticchanges when compared to thosetaken just a few years earlier. With ISSEarthKAM permanently on the Station,students will be better equipped totrack the changes on Earth. Since Earthis constantly changing, there will neverbe two identical images.

ISS EarthKAM PhotographyISS EarthKAM is a NASA-sponsorededucation program that enables stu-dents to take electronic photographs ofEarth using a camera mounted on theInternational Space Station. During anISS EarthKAM operational period, stu-dents use interactive Web pages to tar-get and request images of Earth. Theythen use the images to study Earthfrom the unique perspective of space.

The ISS EarthKAM camera is a digitalcamera with a light-sensitive detectorinstead of film. This detector producesan image that can be transmitteddirectly to a computer. Like most cam-eras, the ISS EarthKAM camera takespictures using visible light. As a result,students can only photograph Earthduring the 45 minutes of each orbit whenthe Station flies over Earth’s sunlit side.

For the program’s first five years, theISS EarthKAM camera operated fromthe Space Shuttle. In May 2001, opera-tions switched to the ISS.

Operations on the Space Shuttle arevery similar to operations on ISS.During a Shuttle mission, an astronautmounts the camera in the Shuttle’soverhead window as soon as theShuttle reaches orbit. While in orbit, theShuttle flies “upside down” (with theoverhead window facing Earth), so thecamera points straight toward theground. For ISS operations, the ISSEarthKAM camera is mounted in theDestiny Lab.

After mounting the camera, astro-nauts connect it to the ISS EarthKAMcomputer, which communicates with acomputer in NASA’s Mission Control.

Middle school students study Earthscience, geography, weather, currentevents, and more in order to determinephotographic targets. Students trackthe spacecraft to find the time it fliesover a location of interest.

Using the Internet, middle schoolstudents transmit the time and target

information to the University ofCalifornia, San Diego, where therequests are compiled into a list andsent to NASA’s Mission Control Center.From there, the list is sent to the ISSEarthKAM computer in orbit. At eachlisted time, the computer commandsthe camera to take a picture. Within afew hours, the images are added to theISS EarthKAM Datasystem on theWorld Wide Web, where students andthe general public can access them forviewing and study.

About the Images on the Front of theLithograph

International Space StationThe entire International Space Station asphotographed by the STS-110 crew in April2002. The Destiny module is at the very bot-tom of the image. Look closely to spot thenadir window.

ISS EarthKAM PhotographyAstronaut Carl Walz confirms that the ISSEarthKAM camera is set up properly duringFebruary 2002 operations. Problems with apower cable forced the camera to be set upin the service module instead of the U.S. lab.

Nadir WindowAstronaut Steven Frick admires the view fromthe nadir window of the U.S. lab during hisvisit to the ISS on Shuttle mission STS-110.

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration ISS EarthKAM Photography

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ttp://www.earthkam.ucsd.eduNASA Spacelink:


Gazankulu Homeland, South AfricaNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Gazankulu Homeland, South Africa

LG-1999-05-505-HQ

This image, of the northeast corner of SouthAfrica (a) where it meets Mozambique (b) high-lights distinctive land-use patterns. The centralpart of the scene is South Africa’s Kruger NationalPark (c), a famous wildlife reserve scarred byrecent burning (d). Different land-use practiceson either side of the Kruger National Park outlinethe Park borders.

The Gazankulu Homeland (e), one of theseveral black African homelands, contains dozensof small white patches marking “rural ghettoes” (f),population centers where hundreds of thousandsof black Africans were forced to set up their homesduring the height of the apartheid regime of thepast South African government. The patches areevidence of denudation of the natural vegetationdue to overpopulation and overgrazing by herdanimals. Shuttle imagery shows not a single patchin this area in 1983, indicating the scale and speedof the population removals which resulted in theghettoes.

The most prominent feature in Mozambique isthe dry bed of the Limpopo River (g), a major riverwhich, further north, acts as the border betweenthe states of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Latitude: 23.05o S Longitude: 31.03o EDate: October 4, 1997Type of Image: EarthKAMImage ID #: STS086.ESC.08101513






international border

77.27 Kilometers

115.

61 K

ilom

eter

s

a. South Africab. Mozambique

c. Kruger National ParkWhat is being preserved inthis park?

d. fire scars from recentburning

Why are the edges sostraight?

e. the GazankuluHomeland

f. ruralghettos

g. Limpopo River

What are thelivelihoods of peoplein this area?

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Ganges River Delta

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Ganges River Delta

LG-1999-05-507-HQ

This image shows the Sundarbans, the centralpart of the large delta of the Ganges River inwestern Bangladesh. The Ganges River, one ofthe world’s longer rivers, carries a tremendousload of sediment eroded from the Himalayanregion. When the river enters the Bay of Bengal (a)at the India-Bangladesh border, sediment isdeposited to form the delta at the coastline. Thesuspended sediment gives the water a verymuddy color.

At the end of the delta, the combined actionof river and tidal flow creates a complex networkof water channels, forming many islands. Thedark-colored land in the delta is mangroveforest (b) in a coastal preserve and is one ofthe last habitats for Bengal Tigers. The lighter,reddish-colored land has been completelydeforested of mangrove forests and supportsa very large human population. The very lightcolored land just north of the mangrove preservemarks the border (c) of Bangladesh (d) withIndia (e).

Latitude: 89.57o E Longitude: 22.01o NDate: January 13, 1997Type of Image: EarthKAMImage ID #: STS081.ESC.00212933





a. Bay of Bengal(part of theIndian Ocean)

156.87 Kilometers

104.

84 K

ilomet

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b. mangroveforest

c. international border

d. Bangladesh

e. India

sediment plume

clear water

Why is this areavulnerable to tropicalcyclones?

Why are theseareas white?

What might be thesources of the sedimentin the Ganges River?

What are the effects ofsediment on a delta?

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Forest Fires in Sumatra

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Forest Fires in Sumatra

LG-1999-05-508-HQ

One of the first well-publicized impacts of the1997-1998 El Niño was out-of-control burningand a large smoke pall over the Indonesiaregion from August through October, 1997. ElNiño delayed the monsoon rains, allowing thefires (many of which were probably deliberatelyset to clear the land) to race out of control.

This view is a photomosaic of 2 imagestaken in sequence over the southern tip of theisland of Sumatra. Together, the imagesprovide a sense of the regional scale of thefires and smoke.

The number of fires, the small, arrow-likeplumes (a), and the thickness of the smoke pallincrease from south to north. The dark regionsalong the coast are the forested slopes of thecoastal mountains (b). The smoke drapesaround the mountains and becomes thickand dense enough that it forms waves (c).

Additional images are available in the sameseries cutting completely across Sumatra.EarthKAM images STS086.ESC.00215343 –STS086.ESC.00215750.

Latitude: 4.93o S Longitude: 104.30o EDate: September 26, 1997Type of Image: EarthKAMImage ID #: STS086.ESC.00215637 andSTS086.ESC.00215701





a. fires

b. forested slopesof the coastal mountains

c. waves in the smokeWhat causes suchwaves?

deforested area

Which direction is the windblowing?

What effects mightthese fires have had?Consider the effects onthe air quality insurrounding countries.

How far did the smokespread?

Why might they want to clearthe land?

To what use aredeforested lands put?

STS086.ESC.00215637

STS086.ESC.00215701

What were the causesof these fires?

What were some of the other impactsof El Niño?

139.47 Kilo

meters

139.22 Kilo

meters

clouds

208.31 Kilometers

208.61 Kilometers

Earth Features Seen From SpaceNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Sediment Forestry

Agriculture

Mountains and HillsSnow

Forests

Clouds

Smoke Deltas Airports

Islands Rivers

Ports and Docks

Pivot Irrigation

Volcanoes and Ash

Urban Areas

Beaches

Coastlines Lakes and Dams

Roads and Railways

Earth Features Seen From Space

LG-1999-05-521-HQ


SedimentRivers and streams carry sus-pended material into lakes andseas where it is deposited; look forsediment plumes near deltas,along coasts, around islands.Curving shapes show the effect ofcurrents and eddies sweepingmaterial along.

SnowSnow, clouds, and smoke aredifficult to distinguish; for snow,consider high elevations and/orhigh latitudes, season (date whenimage was taken), and patterns(shadows cast by terrain, shapesof underlying terrain).

CloudsClouds, smoke, and snow aredifficult to distinguish; for clouds,look for dark shadows on theground, relation to ground surface(over land or water), color (whiteor gray), effects of wind (streaks),and patterns (puffy balls, lines,blankets).

SmokeSmoke, clouds, and snow are dif-ficult to distinguish; for smoke, look fora source (point, small area), natureof source (forest fire, chimney,volcano), color (white, gray, brown),pattern (billowing with shadows orthin, wispy), and wind direction.

Volcanoes and AshVolcanoes often have characteris-tic round or cone-like shapes; lookfor dark-colored billowing eruptionclouds (coming from a pointsource) showing wind direction, withash falls beneath.

Mountains and HillsMountains and hills are higher-elevation terrain; look for indi-cations of elevation (shadows,tree cover, tree cover thinningout), patterns of ridges andvalleys (“wrinkles” with light andshade). Use a map to identifymountains and hills.

IslandsColor and shape differencesbetween land and water are thebest indicators of islands; lookalso for beaches and surf lines,currents and sediments eddyingaround islands, clouds forming justover islands or just over wateraround islands.

DeltasDeltas form where rivers meet thesea; look for meandering shapeswith many small and large chan-nels, sediment plumes (shaped bycurrents and eddies), and colordifferences (in water and on land,e.g., sand build-up or vegetation).

ForestsForests–areas of dense vegeta-tion–show up as regions ofconsistent color (dark green, darkblue, black) with a subtle mottlingtexture (from light and shadow ontree tops), with rivers and roadscutting through them.

CoastlinesCoastlines show up easilybecause of striking land-sea colorand shape differences; look forbeaches, headlands, rivermouths, on-shore settlement anddevelopment. Use the shapes ofcoastlines to align images andmaps.

RiversRivers are sinuous “breaks” inhuman and physical patterns; lookfor meandering shapes (withbranches and tributaries), color(light or dark depending onriverbed composition and suspendedmaterial), development (e.g., roads,fields, buildings).

BeachesThe land-water edge is marked bydeposits of sediment; look for verylight colors, off-shore color vari-ations (indicating water depth),sediment plumes from currentsand eddies, and serrated shapes(from jetties and breakwaters).

ForestryForestry areas result fromlumbering (clearing and re-planting); look for light and darkcolor variations (between clearingand trees), shapes (e.g., sharpedges, grid-like lines), patches ofsettlement or roads.

Pivot IrrigationIn pivot irrigation, water is sprayedin a circle from a field’s center;look for circular shapes, for darkareas of vegetation against alighter background, and forregular patterns of circles in grids.

AgricultureAgriculture creates patchworks offields of different shapes andcolors; look for rectangularpatterns possibly organized alongrivers or roads, with patches ofvarying color (usually lightthrough dark blue-greens orbrowns).

Ports and DocksPorts and docks link urban areasand coastlines. Look for “tooth-shaped,” light-colored, rectangularprojections into the water, oftenwith roads and railways linesrunning inland away from thecoast.

Roads and RailwaysRoads and railways are difficult todifferentiate; look for extendedstraight or gently curving lines,which are often light-colored,typically radiate from urbanareas, and cut through forests oragricultural areas. Sharp curvesor bends suggest roads.

Lakes and DamsLakes come in all sizes andshapes; look for light blue-, green-, or even white-colored areas withrounded, sometimes irregularedges and beaches. Dams arenearly straight features acrossrivers, behind which lakes form.

Urban AreasCities and towns vary in size andshape; look for areas of lightcolors (white, gray, pale blue,beige), geometric shapes (radial orgrid patterns), with features suchas parks, stadiums, and airportsintermingled.

AirportsAirports, with long straight run-ways intersecting in cross-shapedpatterns, are usually found on theedge of urban areas. Look forlight-colored lines, intersecting at90 or 45 degrees, with dark areasbetween runways.

This litho shows twenty features and patterns that are commonly found inimages of Earth’s surface. The thumbnails and descriptions will help youidentify these features in this set of images, Exploring Earth From Space,and in other images you can find in NASA’s extensive archives.

Additional information and images:EarthKAM images and lessons: http://www.earthkam.ucsd.eduJSC Earth From Space image database: http://earth.jsc.nasa.govNASA Spacelink: http://spacelink.nasa.gov

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Creative Agriculture in Response to Limited Water

What evidence do you see of the aridconditions in these areas?

Which regions look like they’ve beencultivated recently? Which look older?

mountains

sand dunes

a. Darling River

b. canals

Lake Menindee

c. agriculture in the drybed of Lake Tandou

STS089 ESC 07182155—Darling River, Australia

normal flood plain ofthe Darling River

Lake Qarun(darker region)

Nile River, Egypt—STS081.ESC.02002611

centerpivot irrigationfields

Saudi Arabia—STS076.ESC.06214838

ephemeralstreams

e. Faiyum depression

d. NileRiver

STS076.ESC.06214832—Saudi Arabia


Location: Saudi ArabiaLatitude: 24˚ N Longitude: 45˚ EImage Dimensions: 39.4 x 94.4 kmDate: March 29, 1996Image ID #: STS076.ESC.06214832and STS076.ESC.06214838

Location: Darling River, AustraliaLatitude: 32.44˚ S Longitude: 142.34˚ EImage Dimensions: 84.2 x 126.0 kmDate: January 30, 1998Image ID #: STS089.ESC.07182155

Location: Nile River, Egypt Latitude: 29.60˚ N Longitude: 30.33˚ EImage Dimensions: 138.9 x 207.8 kmDate: January 14, 1997Image ID #: STS081.ESC.02002611

Creative Agriculture in Response to Limited Water

In desert areas where water is scarce, manyingenious ways of finding and using water havebeen developed to support agriculture. This com-posite shows several different methods.

The mosaic of two images shows patterns ofagriculture in an arid valley of Saudi Arabia whereaquifers have been tapped for water. The imagecentered on the Menindee Lakes along theDarling River (a) is in a desert region of NewSouth Wales, Australia. A dam (not seen in theimage) allows the river water to rise and flow intothe lakes through a series of canals (b). Thewater in the lakes is used for local agriculture,such as in the rectangular fields in the old bed ofLake Tandou (c). The image of the Nile River (d)and the Faiyum depression (e) in Egypt showsone of the first regions in the world to be cultivat-ed using irrigation. The Faiyum depression, whereNile water is diverted to support agriculture, is anaturally occurring low spot that was formerly alake until it was drained and cultivated byPtolemy II more than 2,000 years ago.




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National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Colorado River

c. Escalante River

Lake Powell

d. Navajo Mountain

e. MonumentValley

b. San Juan River

a. Colorado River

Why do these lines follow each other?

224.0 kilometers

147.

4 kil

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N

f. Glen Canyon Dam

open-pit coal mine Why is this area dark colored?


Latitude: 37.47˚ N Longitude: 111.18˚ WDate: October 10, 2001Image ID #: ISS003.ESC1.283233933

Colorado River

The Colorado River (a) is the largest river in thesouthwestern United States. As it flows throughsouthern Utah, the river continuously erodes thesedimentary rock layers forming a deep, narrowcanyon. Within this image, two tributary rivers, theSan Juan (b) and the Escalante (c), flow into theColorado. The region that gathers rainfall into ariver is called a drainage basin. The entire drainagebasin of the Escalante River is visible. Tree-cov-ered, high-elevation mountains around the headof the Escalante River basin appear dark com-pared to the sparsely vegetated, orange-coloredsedimentary rocks found at lower elevations.

Navajo Mountain (d) marks the gathering ofthe San Juan and Colorado Rivers. This isolateddome volcano pushed through the sedimentaryrock layers of the Colorado Plateau and is situatednear the Utah-Arizona border. Nearby MonumentValley (e), a Navajo Nation Tribal Park, has beencharacterized by red sandstone buttes andmesas that rise up to 300 meters above the sur-rounding landscape.

The Glen Canyon Dam (f) is visible at the farwestern edge of the image. Built between 1960and 1963, the dam provides the area with water,electricity, and recreation. However, the introduc-tion of the dam permanently changed the localecosystem, which led to a controversy that isoften cited as contributing to the birth of themodern environmental movement.




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National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Cloud Patterns

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Cloud Patterns

LG-1999-05-510-HQ

The Earth’s surface plays an important role in theformation of clouds—collections of water and icedroplets. As shown in this composite, clouds oftenform just over the land or just over the water, andcan be indicators of surface features or near-surface processes.

The top left image is a high oblique view ofclouds over water. The Earth limb (a) shows thethickness of atmosphere. The top right image is ofclouds over Trinidad (b). Clouds have formed onlyover the land through the combined actions of tran-spiration (the release of moisture through leaves)from the trees and the uplift of air over the islands.The bottom left image is of clouds along the AmazonRiver (c). Transpiration from the heavy vegetationgrowth in the Amazon basin provides the trigger forcloud formation over the land but not over the river.Regions that have been cleared of forest generallyhave fewer clouds. Finally, the bottom right imageis of coastal fog along Namibia (d). Where the coolwaters off the southwest coast of Africa meet thewarm land, low stratus clouds form. Occasionallythis fog drapes inland a small distance, providingthe only moisture to this desert region.





Location: TrinidadLatitude: 10.52o N Longitude: 62.32o WDate: March 23, 1996Type of Image: EarthKAMImage ID #: STS076.ESC.01080335Dimensions: 214.23 km x 143.18 km

Location: NamibiaLatitude: 18.51o S Longitude: 11.58o EDate: October 4, 1997Type of Image: EarthKAMImage ID #: STS086.ESC.08114835Dimensions: 117.53 km x 78.55 km

Location: Earth limbLatitude: N/A Longitude: N/ADate: October 4, 1997Type of Image: EarthKAMImage ID #: STS086.ESC.08150528Dimensions: N/A

Location: AmazonLatitude: 1.79o S Longitude: 53.47o SDate: March 23, 1996Type of Image: EarthKAMImage ID #: STS076.ESC.01080736Dimensions: 214.05 km x 143.06 km

d. Namibia

c. AmazonRiver

What are the roles of water and land in cloud formation?

a. Earth limb(outer edge of theEarth when itappears as a diskagainst space)

b. Trinidad

What do differenttypes of clouds looklike from space?

Can you tell whichway the wind isblowing?

STS086.ESC.08150528 – Earth limb Trinidad – STS076.ESC.01080335

STS076.ESC.01080736 – Amazon Namibia – STS086.ESC.08114835

South AtlanticOcean

Buenos Aires, ArgentinaNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

80.70 Kilometers

120.74 Kilometers

a. Buenos Aires

Why is BuenosAires locatedhere?

b. airport

c. harbor with portfacilities (teeth-likestructures)

d. Rió de la Plata

e. Argentina

f. Uruguay

g. Rió Paraná

h. circulation patterns ofthe surface water

Where do the riversediments (sand andmud) come from?

natural vegetationWhy isn’t thereagriculture in thisregion?

race track

agriculturalfields

clouds

UruguayRiver

agricultural fields

Buenos Aires, Argentina

LG-1999-05-504-HQ

Argentina’s capital city of Buenos Aires (a), ishome to about 13 million people, more than 1/3of the country’s population. This image pro-vides an excellent example of an urban land-scape. Recognizable features include roadpatterns, especially major highways into andout of the city, a large airport (b), and portfacilities on the coast (c). The darker regionswithin the city are parks and other areas withvegetation. The rectangular patterns, outside ofthe city, suggest that the countryside is heavilyfarmed.

Buenos Aires was built on the coast of theRió de la Plata (d), the large, muddy estuarywhich forms part of the border between Argen-tina (e) and Uruguay (f). At the head of theestuary is the large delta of the Rió Paraná (g).The muddy pattern in the water, called thewater turbidity, is formed by the heavy sedimentload (sands and mud) carried by the Paranáand the Uruguay River. The turbidity shows thecirculation pattern of the surface water in theestuary (h).

Latitude: 34.52o S Longitude: 58.49o WDate: January 30, 1998Type of Image: EarthKAMImage ID #: STS089.ESC.07154137






National Aeronautics andSpace Administration Andalusia, Spain

Why are there fewer crops on this side of the river?

d. Sanlúcar de Barrameda

a. swamps

b. dunes

f. El Puerto de Santa María

Why are these fields different sizes?

c. Guadalquivir River

Why is the river water brown?


Latitude: 36.88˚ N Longitude: 6.25˚ WDate: March 8, 2002Image ID #: ISS004.ESC2.068114554

Andalusia, Spain

This coastal region of Andalusia, Spain, containsone of the most important untouched environ-ments in all southwestern Europe. The LasMarismas (a) wetlands and the dunes of Doñana(b) are protected by a 50,000-hectare (124,000-acre) national park. The region illustrates theways landforms change over time and area.Originally, Las Marismas was a bay on theAtlantic Ocean. Erosion from the sandy hills tothe northwest formed a sand spit, which thenevolved into the dunes of Doñana. This spit nearlyclosed off the bay, leaving only a small openingfor the mouth of the Guadalquivir River (c).Though protected as both a national park and aUNESCO World Heritage Site, the wetlands arethreatened by tourism, urbanization, and the useof the water for drinking and irrigation.

The Guadalquivir River is also diverted for agri-cultural irrigation. Due to the long growing season,local farmers grow mainly fruits. At the mouth of theGuadalquivir River sits Sanlúcar de Barrameda(d), the port from which Magellan and Columbussailed. Its major industries are fishing and sherry.

The smaller port cities of Rota (e) and El Puertode Santa María (f) boast fine beaches. Both citiesalso have harbors that can be seen to extendinto the Gulf of Cádiz (g).




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40.0 kilometers

60.3

kilo

met

ers

Ng. Gulf of Cádiz

e. Rota

Documents

Exploring Earth from Spaceteacherlink.ed.usu.edu/.../Exploring.Earth.From.Space.pdfOne factor influencing weather is the difference in the heat-holding capacities of land and water