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  Image: Geographic Location Direction Photo #: ISS030-E-9186 Date: Dec. 2011
Geographic Region: AUSTRALIA-NSW
Feature: MENINDEE, LAKE MENINDEE, LAKE TANDOU, LAKE WETHERELL

Ordering information for space photography
 
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  Menindee Lakes, New South Wales, Australia

Note: This caption refers to the image versions labeled "NASA's Earth Observatory web site".

The Menindee Lakes comprise a system of ephemeral, freshwater lakes fed by the Darling River when it floods. The lakes lie in the far west of New South Wales, Australia, near the town of Menindee. The longest is Lake Tandou (18.6 km north-south dimension), visible at the lower left of this astronaut photograph. The lakes appear to have a small amount of water flooding them. The Darling River itself was flowing, as indicated by the dark water and blackened mud along its course (image right).

The Darling River flows southwest in tortuous fashion (top right to lower left in this image). In the flat landscapes of this part of Australia, the river has created several inland deltas in its course to the sea, with characteristic diverging channel patterns, marked by younger sediments, which appear grayer than the surrounding ancient red soils and rocks. One such inland delta appears at image right where minor channels wind across the countryside. The apex of another inland delta appears at image lower left.

Some of the Menindee Lakes have been incorporated in an artificially regulated overflow system providing for flood control, water storage for domestic use and livestock, as well as downstream irrigation. The lakes are also important as wetlands supporting a rich diversity of birds. The floor of one lake, Lake Tandou, is also used as prime agricultural land, as can be seen by its patchwork of irrigated fields, and is protected from flooding.
 
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Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 303k
Mission: ISS030  
Roll - Frame: E - 9186
Geographical Name: AUSTRALIA-NSW  
Features: MENINDEE, LAKE MENINDEE, LAKE TANDOU, LAKE WETHERELL  
Center Lat x Lon: 32.5S x 142.5E
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: 29   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 80  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction: E   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: 20111203   YYYYMMDD
Time: 015255   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 32S  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 140.6E  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 40   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 216   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: 78   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views:  
Water Views: CHANNEL, DELTA, FLOODING, LAKE, RIVER, SEA  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views:  
City Views:  
Photo is not associated with any sequences


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