A vast alluvial fan blossoms across the desolate landscape between the
Kunlun and Altun mountain ranges that form the southern border of the
Taklimakan Desert in China’s XinJiang Province. The left side is the
active part of the fan, and appears blue from water currently flowing in
the many small streams.
The image was acquired May 2, 2002, covers an area of 56.6 x 61.3 km, and
is centered near 37.4 degrees north, 84.3 degrees east.
With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared
wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters
(about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing
surface of our planet.
ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18,
1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team
is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the
data products.
The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides
scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface
mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example
applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring
potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud
morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution
monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils
and geology; and measuring surface heat balance.
The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission
Directorate.