Here’s another chance to play geographical detective!
The image above was taken by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) on NASA’s Terra satellite. It shows an area about 327 kilometers wide by 375 kilometers high, and geographic north is not necessarily at the top of the page.
The questions below refer to a country that fills most of the area in the image. Please answer the questions and then tell us the location shown. You may use any reference materials you need to answer the quiz.
1) Within this country lies a picturesque desert, located at the bottom right of the image. This desert was home to a group of enigmatic ancient people who were known for their skill and resourcefulness. Their capital is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Name the desert and the given name of the people.
2) The wavy lines that cross the middle of the image are natural geologic features that often carry descriptive names of their location. What is the native word used to accurately describe these features?
3) The name of the body of water at the bottom of the image is actually a misnomer. The nearby hills that protect the landscape from weather fronts also enable a “rain shadow,” thus contributing to the surrounding aridity. What is the name of the body of water?
4) At the bottom left, small city developments are visible. One of those cities came was developed at the beginning of the 20th century. It now accounts for 50 percent of the industrial output of the country. Name the city.
5) The landscape dominating most of the image is an extension of a much larger, natural feature. This feature is home to a very limited floristic diversity and to a number of critical and endangered species—though there are no formally protected areas. Name this feature.
6) Name the country that fills most of the area in this Image.
Answers have been published on the MISR web site and on the Earth Matters blog. The first three people who answered correctly were sent a print of the image.
New “Where on Earth...?” mysteries appear periodically. Today’s image also appears on the Planetary Photojournal, and the Atmospheric Sciences Data Center home page.
Credit: Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL MISR Team. Caption by Amber Jenkins and Karen Yuen, JPL.
