Earth from Space - Image Information


LOCATION Direction Photo #: ISS019-E-7720 Date: Apr. 2009
Geographic Region: CHINA
Feature: YANGTZE R. V., MTS., FOR., THREE GORGES DAM


IMAGE
 
Three Gorges Dam, China

A new reservoir is filling in central China. The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River--the world's largest dam--was completed in 2006, and the river is filling up its valley behind the dam to form a narrow reservoir extending more than 600 kilometers. This image from April 15, 2009, is one of the first images that astronauts on the International Space Station have been able to capture of the flooding behind the dam. The main objective for the dam is to supply water for the largest hydroelectric plant in the world and to help control the devastating floods that plague the lowlands downstream from the dam.

The epic scale of the dam project is matched by the level of controversy it continues to generate. Concerns about major environmental impacts, the relocation of 1.2 million people, and the flooding of 13 cities, more than 1300 villages, archeological locations, and hazardous waste dumps were raised throughout the planning and implementation. Environmental concerns include increased seismicity from the loading of the water, landslides, changed ecosystems, accumulated pollution, increased chances for waterborne diseases, and salinity changes in the Yangtze estuary.


Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 336k
Mission: ISS019  
Roll - Frame: E - 7720
Geographical Name: CHINA  
Features: YANGTZE R. V., MTS., FOR., THREE GORGES DAM  
Center Lat x Lon: 30.9N x 110.8E
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: 27   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 180  
 
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: 3605  
 
Date: 20090415   YYYYMMDD
Time: 070522   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 30.1N  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 112.2E  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 249   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 189   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: 49   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views: VALLEY  
Water Views: RESERVOIR, RIVER  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views: DAM  
City Views:  

Photo is not associated with any sequences


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