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  Image: Geographic Location Direction Photo #: STS111-E-5224 Date: Jun. 2002
Geographic Region: USA-CALIFORNIA
Feature: SALTON SEA, IMPERIAL VALLEY, JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

Ordering information for space photography
 
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  View Low-Resolution Image  
  Southern California's Salton Sea is a prominent visual for astronauts. This large lake supports the rich agricultural fields of the Imperial, Coachella and Mexicali Valleys in the California and Mexico desert. The Salton Sea formed by accident in 1905 when an irrigation canal ruptured, allowing the Colorado River to flood the Salton Basin. Today the Sea performs an important function as the sink for agricultural runoff; water levels are maintained by the runoff from the surrounding agricultural valleys. The Salton Sea salinity is high--nearly 1/4 saltier than ocean water--but it remains an important stopover point for migratory water birds, including several endangered species.

The region also experiences several environmental problems. The recent increased demands for the limited Colorado River water threatens the amount of water allowed to flow into the Salton Sea. Increased salinity and decreased water levels could trigger several regional environmental crises.

The agricultural flow into the Sea includes nutrients and agricultural by-products, increasing the productivity and likelihood of algae blooms. This image shows either a bloom, or suspended sediment (usually highly organic) in the water that has been stirred up by winds.
 
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Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 107k
Mission: STS111  
Roll - Frame: E - 5224
Geographical Name: USA-CALIFORNIA  
Features: SALTON SEA, IMPERIAL VALLEY, JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK  
Center Lat x Lon: 33.5N x 116W
Film Exposure:   N=Normal exposure, U=Under exposed, O=Over exposed, F=out of Focus
Percentage of Cloud Cover-CLDP: 10
 
Camera: E4
 
Camera Tilt:   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 70  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction:   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: 20020612   YYYYMMDD
Time:   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: N  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: E  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth:   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude:   nautical miles
Sun Elevation:   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views: DESERT  
Water Views: LAKE, SEA, SEDIMENT  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views:  
City Views:  
Photo is not associated with any sequences


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