Where on Earth...? MISR Mystery Image Quiz #18

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Here's another chance to play geographical detective! This natural-color image from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) represents an area of about 368 kilometers x 465 kilometers, and was captured by the instrument's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera in March, 2004. Use any reference materials you like and answer the following 5 questions:

1. The soils in the prominent pale tan area in the upper right are derived from marine fossil sediments that accumulated there over two million years ago. Partly because of its well-drained, chalky soils, this region is renowned for a particular agricultural product. What is that product?

2. The large river apparent just above image center traverses agricultural, urban, pastoral and forested lands before emerging at the coast in the upper left. Below are three true statements about water quality in the river now, as compared with 30 years ago, and one false statement. Which one is the false statement?

   1. The concentration of dissolved oxygen in the waters of the river are now lower.
   2. The concentration of nitrates in the waters of the river are now higher.
   3. The concentration of phosphate in the waters of the river are now lower.
   4. The number of fish and the diversity of species found in the waters of the river are now higher.
   
   

3. The aforementioned river flows through a city, indicated by the pale purple-gray area above image center. Many of the city's notable architectural monuments are located along the river. Are the majority of these monuments situated upstream or downstream of the island at the city's center?

4. There are two wetland areas within the image that have been internationally recognized for their significance. Two of these statements are true for one wetland and the other two are true for the other wetland. In which combination (AB-CD, AC-BD or BC-AD) should the statements be paired?

   1. thousands of small man-made and semi-natural lakes are found here
   2. the sea eagle regularly spends its winters here
   3. there are 50 different types of dragonfly found here
   4. this lowland complex includes three major vegetation zones
   
   

5. Two clusters of very dark brown pixels surrounded by green, are apparent in the top right-hand corner and at the right-hand edge toward the bottom. Which of the following best describes both of these areas in terms of surface characteristics?

   1. low-lying pasture and cropland
   2. high-country forest
   3. low-lying forest
   4. high-country pasture and cropland

Mystery Solved!

MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.

Image credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. Text acknowledgment:
Clare Averill (Raytheon / Jet Propulsion Laboratory).