Earth from Space - Image Description

Little Rock Metropolitan Area, Arkansas

The capitol city of the State of Arkansas, Little Rock, occupies a position near the geographic center of the state between the eroded remnants of the Ouachita Mountains to the west, the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain to the east, and the West Gulf Coastal Plain to the south. This astronaut photograph taken from the International Space Station highlights the Little Rock metropolitan area and surrounding region. Urban and suburban areas appear light to dark gray in the image, while large facilities and buildings (commercial/industrial, public arenas, etc.) stand out due to expansive light-colored roofs.

The Arkansas River separates Little Rock on the south bank from North Little Rock on the north bank. Frequent changes in the river channel's position through geologic time are recorded as numerous current (and former) oxbow lakes visible to the east of the current river channel (image right) within extensive agricultural fields. Oxbow lakes are formed on river floodplains when wide meander bends in a river are "pinched off" due to the river cutting a shorter channel across the bend. This forms a lake, which typically becomes filled in with sediment over time, with vegetation forming a distinctive curved pattern visible from above.

The city of Little Rock takes its name from a small rock outcrop located on the south bank of the Arkansas River. This outcrop served as a landmark for navigating the river during the city's early development as a center of regional commerce - a role the city still enjoys today.

This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.