Here's another chance to play geographical detective! This natural-color
image from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) represents an
area of about 368 kilometers x 465 kilometers, and was captured by the
instrument's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera in March, 2004. Use any
reference materials you like and answer the following 5 questions:
1. The soils in the prominent pale tan area in the upper right are derived
from marine fossil sediments that accumulated there over two million years
ago. Partly because of its well-drained, chalky soils, this region is
renowned for a particular agricultural product. What is that product?
2. The large river apparent just above image center traverses agricultural,
urban, pastoral and forested lands before emerging at the coast in the
upper left. Below are three true statements about water quality in the
river now, as compared with 30 years ago, and one false statement. Which
one is the false statement?
(A) The concentration of dissolved oxygen in the waters of the river is
now lower.
(B) The concentration of nitrates in the waters of the river is now
higher.
(C) The concentration of phosphate in the waters of the river is now
lower.
(D) The number of fish and the diversity of species found in the waters of
the river is now higher.
3. The aforementioned river flows through a city, indicated by the pale
purple-gray area above image center. Many of the city's notable
architectural monuments are located along the river. Are the majority of
these monuments situated upstream or downstream of the island at the city's
center?
4. There are two wetland areas within the image that have been
internationally recognized for their significance. Two of these statements
are true for one wetland and the other two are true for the other wetland.
In which combination (AB-CD, AC-BD or BC-AD) should the statements be
paired?
(A) thousands of small man-made and semi-natural lakes are found here
(B) the sea eagle regularly spends its winters here
(C) there are 50 different types of dragonfly found here
(D) this lowland complex includes three major vegetation zones
5. Two clusters of very dark brown pixels surrounded by green, are apparent
in the top right-hand corner and at the right-hand edge toward the bottom.
Which of the following best describes both of these areas in terms of
surface characteristics?
(A) low-lying pasture and cropland
(B) high-country forest
(C) low-lying forest
(D) high-country pasture and cropland
E-mail your answers, name (initials are acceptable if you prefer), and your
hometown by the quiz deadline of Tuesday, May 11, 2004, to
suggestions@mail-misr.jpl.nasa.gov.
Answers will be published on the MISR Quiz page . The
names and home towns of respondents who answer all questions correctly
by the deadline will also be published in the order responses were
received. The first 3 people on this list who are not affiliated with NASA,
JPL, or MISR and who have not previously won a prize will be sent a print
of the image.
A new "Where on Earth...?" mystery appears as the MISR "latest featured
image" approximately once every two months. New featured images are
released on Wednesdays at noon Pacific time on the MISR home page,
http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov.
The image also appears on the Earth Observatory, http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/,
and on the Atmospheric Sciences Data Center home pages, http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/ ,
though usually with a several-hour delay.
MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra
satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD.
JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.