The Semien Mountains are the highest parts of the Ethiopian Plateau (more than 2,000 meters; or 6,560 feet). They are surrounded by a steep, ragged escarpment (step), with dramatic vertical cliffs, pinnacles, and rock spires. Although the plateau lies in the latitude of the Sahara–Arabia deserts, its high altitude makes for a cool, wet climate. In fact, the Semien Mountains are one of the few places in Africa to regularly receive snow, and they receive plentiful rainfall (more than 1,280 millimeters, or 55 inches). The moderate climate is shown by light green vegetation on the mountains, compared with the brown canyons, which are hot and dry.
Published Apr 7, 2008
Ancient geologic features and modern creations share the spotlight in this photo of southeastern Utah and northern Arizona taken from the ISS.
Published Feb 23, 2020
Part of the Sahara Desert, the rocky plateau is rich in geologic and human history.
Published Mar 27, 2011
Adjoining Galway Bay to the north, the Burren Plateau (Burren is Gaelic for “stony place”) is an example of karst terrain. Karst terrain is generally formed when sedimentary rocks are dissolved by groundwater. This astronaut photograph illustrates the northwestern-most portion of the Burren Plateau, which is characterized by the distinctive bare exposures of almost horizontal, layered Paleozoic-age limestone rocks that form Gleninagh Mountain.
Published May 5, 2008
Sinking blocks of rock created this distinctive network of valleys.
Published Jun 6, 2014
In a unique ecosystem with several rare and endangered species, grazing and fires are altering the landscape.
Published Feb 27, 2018
Canyons on Mars show a striking similarity to a handful of canyons on Earth. Could they have had the same type of watery origin?
Published Apr 29, 2014
The 2012 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree — a 73-foot Engelmann spruce — hails from northwestern Colorado.
Published Dec 22, 2012
Tassili n’Ajjer was once shaped by water, but the plateau gives shape to the sands below.
Published Mar 12, 2018
Forests thrive in Mount Mulanje’s many valleys and ravines, but the trees have to compete with people who depend on them for firewood and charcoal.
Published Jan 2, 2015
The highlights of this landscape in southern Utah tend to reach down into the Earth, rather than soaring above it.
Published Aug 20, 2017
Sixty million years of erosion have exposed folded layers of rock.
Published Oct 3, 2007
Striking landforms and broad vistas mark the Utah-Arizona border region of the Colorado Plateau.
Published Mar 25, 2013
