Earth from Space - Image Description

STS062-098-157 San Francisco Bay, California, U.S.A. March 1994
This photograph features the rugged, low mountains and hilly terrain that surround San Pablo Bay and San Francisco Bay, a highly prone earthquake region of coastal California. Apparent are the lighter, reflective urban areas and the darker, low lying, swampy area traversed by a number of sloughs north of Grizzly Bay. The greens and reds immediately northeast of San Pablo Bay have the same characteristics as the salt ponds at the southern end of San Francisco Bay. The higher sediment content in the bays produces higher reflectivity than the deep blue Pacific Ocean. Several landmarks are visible--Treasure Island, Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, and San Francisco International Airport.

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