Commander Islands, Bering Sea

Austere and steely white, Russia’s Commander Islands (Komandorskiye Ostrova) form two stark slashes against the black Bering Sea in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image. The image was captured by NASA’s Terra satellite on May 5, 2005, when the region was unusually cloud free. The larger of the two islands is Bering Island, and the smaller island is Mednyy Island. Two tiny islets, not shown here, are also part of the island group.

The Commander Islands are located off the east shore of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Bering Sea. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has declared the islands a biosphere reserve to preserve the unique ecosystems on the islands while improving the socioeconomic conditions of local people. Sitting where east and west meet, the islands support a wide range of plants and animals from both America and Asia.

---

Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published May 3, 2005
Data acquired May 3, 2005

Source:

Terra > MODIS