Earth from Space - Image Information


LOCATION Direction Photo #: ISS017-E-16521 Date: Sep. 2008
Geographic Region: AUSTRALIA-Q
Feature: FRASER ISLAND,SANDY CAPE,DUNES


IMAGE
 
Sandy Cape, Fraser Island, Australia

Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island, is located along the coastline of Queensland, Australia, and it includes Great Sandy National Park. The island was designated a World Heritage site in 1992, in part due to its outstanding preservation of geological processes related to sand dune formation. The island's dune fields preserve a record of sand deposition and movement related to sea level rise and fall extending back over 700,000 years. In addition to sand dunes, the island also preserves an interesting range of vegetation--including vine rainforest, stands of eucalpyt trees, and mangroves--and diverse animals, including crabs, parrots, sugar gliders, and flying foxes.

This astronaut photograph highlights the northernmost portion of the island, known as Sandy Cape. Active white sand dunes contrast with dark green vegetation that anchors older dune sets. Irregular patches of sand dunes surrounded by vegetation are known as sand blows (or blowouts), formed when the vegetation cover is disturbed by wind, fire, or human activities. The exposed underlaying sand can then move and form new dunes, sometimes at rates of up to 1 meter/year. Coastal sand dune fields, such as the one located along the eastern side of Sandy Cape (center), will remain active until anchored by vegetation, or until no more sand is available to form new dunes.


Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 169k
Mission: ISS017  
Roll - Frame: E - 16521
Geographical Name: AUSTRALIA-Q  
Features: FRASER ISLAND,SANDY CAPE,DUNES  
Center Lat x Lon: 24.7S x 153.2E
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: 800  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction: NW   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: 280  
 
Date: 20080915   YYYYMMDD
Time: 213325   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 25.6S  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 154.7E  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 74   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 193   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: 25   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views: CAPE, DUNE, ISLAND  
Water Views: SEA  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views:  
City Views:  

Photo is not associated with any sequences


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