Where on Earth...? MISR Mystery Image Quiz #2: Lake Constance

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This Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) image of Lake Constance covers an area measuring 355 kilometers x 287 kilometers, and was captured by the instrument's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera on August 14, 2000. Lake Constance appears near the left-hand side of the image, halfway down from the top. Answers to the questions are provided.

1. The lake has two commonly used names. What are they?

   • The large lake near the left-hand side of the image is bordered by Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, and has several names. Lake Constance (also written as Konstanz and "Lac de Constance") and Bodensee are the most common names. Another, used by the German residents of the lake, is "Schwäbisches Meer" (Swabian Sea).

2. What process formed the lake's basin?

   1. Meteor impact
   2. Human excavation
   3. Glacial erosion
   4. Volcanic activity

   • Answer: C
     The lake's basin was formed by glacial activities.

3. Which one of the following statements about the lake is false?

   1. There is an international airport within 100 kilometers.
   2. Remedial efforts to mitigate eutrophication were first initiated in the 1990's.
   3. Millions of people rely on the lake for drinking water.
   4. A lakeside town hosts an annual celebration of Celtic music.

   • Answer: B is false
     Lake Constance provides drinking water for about 4 million people. Zurich International Airport is about 70 kilometers from the lakeside town of Konstanz, Germany. An annual Celtic music festival is hosted on the Swiss shores of Lake Constance at the town of Rorschach.
     Eutrophication, or the process of nutrient enrichment, is rapidly accelerated when excess phosphorous and nitrogen is discharged to a water body from wastewater and fertilizers. This leads to overproduction of algae and aquatic plants, exhaustion of available oxygen, loss of some fish species, and the multiplication of anaerobic bacteria. In recognition of the value of Lake Constance, efforts to mitigate eutrophication were initiated in the 1970's.

Image credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team.