Here's another chance to play geographical detective! This natural-color
image from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) represents an area
of about 375 kilometers x 407 kilometers, and was captured by the instrument's
vertical-viewing (nadir) camera in May, 2002. This mystery concerns a large
body of water (the blue waters which dominate most of the image) and the
region surrounding it. Use any reference materials you like and answer the
following 5 questions.
Three of these statements about the large water body are false. Which
one is true?
The deepest portion of the water body is less than 2000 meters deep.
The shallow waters of the northwest section of the water body are less
saline than in deeper waters.
A rich biological community of worms and crustaceans thrive in the mud
below 180 meters depth.
Algae and plankton form a vast and productive underwater
"meadow" in the relatively shallow northern waters.
Three of these statements about the large water body are true. Which one
is false?
The pale blue swirls of color in these waters indicate calcareous
phytoplankton called coccolithophores.
Since the 1960s, coccolithophores have become more abundant, and diatoms
(another type of phytoplankton) have decreased.
Early seafarers used the prevailing clockwise circulation of the currents
to navigate these waters.
Archaeological relics discovered under 100 meters of water indicate that
the coastline was lower several thousand years ago than today.
Three of these statements about human activities within the area are
true. Which one is false?
There have been more than 10 geological studies conducted to determine the
petroleum potential of the region.
More than 20 fish species once found in the large water body have become
"commercially extinct" over the last 50 years.
One country within the image area is reported to have a 99.7% literacy
rate or better.
Many of the navigable rivers are forced to close for up to one month
during winter.
Three of these statements about the river whose delta, or mouth, appears
along the lower left-hand edge are false. Which one is true?
The freshwater inflow from this river to the large water body is
approximately twice the amount of saltwater inflow to the large water body.
The entire river delta falls under the jurisdiction of one country.
Contaminated water from a mining disaster that occurred hundreds of
kilometers upstream (in January 2000), took less than 30 days to reach the
river mouth.
Over the past 20 years, the discharge of nitrates and phosphates from
this river have decreased compared with 1960s levels.
A rare bird that can weigh more than 45 pounds is known to inhabit:
a nature preserve situated along the wide river that flows from the top
of the image nearest to the right.
lands surrounding the shallow, mineral-rich, pink and green-colored
lagoons that extend from the upper right-hand edge of the image.
neither of these places.
both of these places.
Bonus question:
A sinuous river curves toward the large water body in the upper-central
portion of the image. Near the mouth of this river, a small orange spot can
be discerned along the right-hand bank, near a small city known by two names.
Name the most likely cause for the orange color at that location.
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: Jim Armstrong (Potter Valley, California) and Clare
Averill (Raytheon / Jet Propulsion Laboratory).
