EarthWatch: Death Valley National Park’s Landscapes
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Although its known for extreme dryness and heat records, Death Valley National Park’s features are still shaped by water.
Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with the NASA Earth Observatory: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
- Astronaut photograph ISS061-E-31529 was acquired on November 5, 2019, with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a 400 millimeter lens and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147025/death-valley-landscapes
- Image of the Day story by Andrea Meado, Jacobs/JETS Contract at NASA-JSC
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Text, Earth Watch.
Exploring the Blue Planet by Satellite.
An aerial shot of a mountain range. Text, Death Valley National park's Landscapes. Earth Observatory. earth observatory dot nasa dot com. Expedition 61 Crew, International Space Station. The desert landscape of Death Valley National Park has been shaped by water for thousands of years.
The rugged, rocky Owlshead Mountains stand out in contrast to smooth, dry lake beds. Owlshead Mountains labeled in the center. Owl Lake to the north. Lost Lake to the south.
Text, When rare rains fall, sediment is carried from the mountains and deposited as alluvial fans in the valleys. Alluvial Fans just below the Owlshead Mountains.
Text, November 5, 2019. Dry lakes can appear at the junctions of multiple alluvial fans, where water accumulates and then quickly evaporates.
Despite its arid conditions, the park's hills and valleys explode with color in the spring, set off in shades of gold, purple, pink and white flowers.
To learn more, go to earth observatory dot nasa dot gov.