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  Image: Geographic Location Direction Photo #: ISS030-E-19144 Date: Dec. 2011
Geographic Region: CANADA-Q
Feature: AGRICULTURAL PATTERNS, SNOW, SAINT-GEORGES, LAKE ST FRANCOIS

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Agricultural Patterns, Quebec, Canada

Looking like an image of a woven tapestry, this astronaut photograph taken from the International Space Station highlights an extensive pattern of agricultural fields in southeastern Quebec, Canada. The region illustrated in the image, known as the Chaudiere-Appalaches, is located midway between Quebec City (the provincial capital) and the international border with the United States (specifically, the State of Maine). Agriculture is a significant component of Quebec's industries, with over 50 percent of the food produced or processed consumed within the province as of 2008 (source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - link no longer works).

The tapestry-like pattern is due to the fact that the agricultural fields in the region are closely tied to access roads, with rectangular fields extending outwards perpendicular to the roadways. A similar pattern - embedded within a different social, historical, and economic context - can be seen in the Rondonia region of western Brazil.

Snow cover highlights the rectangular fields interspersed with dark green forested patches. The urban area of Saint Georges (image right) is visible as a light gray region along the Chaudiere River. The Parc national de Frontenac borders parts of Lac (lake) St.-Francois at image lower center, providing an area for outdoor recreation within the intensive agricultural landscape.

 
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Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 330k
Mission: ISS030  
Roll - Frame: E - 19144
Geographical Name: CANADA-Q  
Features: AGRICULTURAL PATTERNS, SNOW, SAINT-GEORGES, LAKE ST FRANCOIS  
Center Lat x Lon: 46.2N x 71.1W
Film Exposure:   N=Normal exposure, U=Under exposed, O=Over exposed, F=out of Focus
Percentage of Cloud Cover-CLDP: 10
 
Camera: N2
 
Camera Tilt: 05   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 85  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction: W   The direction from the nadir to the center point, N=North, S=South, E=East, W=West
Stereo?:   Y=Yes there is an adjacent picture of the same area, N=No there isn't
Orbit Number:  
 
Date: 20111229   YYYYMMDD
Time: 185829   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 46.1N  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 70.8W  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 211   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 216   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: 15   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views:  
Water Views: LAKE, RIVER  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views: AGRICULTURE, URBAN AREA  
City Views: QUEBEC, RONDONIA  
Photo is not associated with any sequences


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