Earth from Space - Image Description

STS068-168-078 New Castle Area, New South Wales, Australia October 1994
Although the scale of this image precludes the identification of specific features, the large dark areas (upper right and bottom right) show forested slopes of mountains (part of the Great Dividing Range) that appear to be volcanic in origin. The pronounced radial drainage pattern that is observed in the lower right corner of the picture seems to support this observation. Although practically none of the actual river channel or floodplain is discernible, the Hunter River Valley runs laterally through the center of the image. The general location of Australia's sixth largest city, Newcastle, is barely visible as a grayish area (left middle edge). This area experienced a 5.6 (Richter Scale) earthquake in December 1989. One reservoir (irregular-shaped, dark feature), Lake Liddell, is visible in the lower right quadrant of the picture. Lake Grahmstown is also visible near the left bottom edge of the image.

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