Isla San Lorenzo and Isla Las Animas, Gulf of California - related image preview

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Isla San Lorenzo and Isla Las Animas, Gulf of California - related image preview

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Isla San Lorenzo and Isla Las Animas, Gulf of California - related image preview

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Isla San Lorenzo and Isla Las Animas, Gulf of California

Located in the northern Gulf of California, Isla (island) San Lorenzo and Isla Las Animas—part of the Midriff Islands—record geologic processes involved in the creation of the Baja California peninsula over several hundred million years. This astronaut photograph illustrates the largely pristine nature of these islands. The islands are located in the rain shadow of mountains on the Baja Peninsula to the west, and arid conditions prevail through much of the year. The scarcity of water has limited human presence on the islands, and allowed flora and fauna unique to each island to flourish, particularly reptiles.


Featured astronaut photograph ISS015-E-7928 was acquired May 13, 2007, by the Expedition 15 crew with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 400 mm lens. The image is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.

Published November 12, 2007
Data acquired May 13, 2007

Source:
ISS > Digital Camera
Collection:
Astronaut Photography