A slight rise of rocky land interrupts the linear dunes of the Empty Quarter.
Published Apr 22, 2012
The city is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Mexico and site of the busiest international land-border crossing in the world.
Published Jul 24, 2017
Taken July 8, 2011, this astronaut photograph shows the border region of Turkey, Armenia, and Iran, including the Aras River.
Published Jul 25, 2011
Fortifications and earthworks from an old war look very similar to oil pads from drilling operations.
Published Feb 2, 2015
Yellow flowers brighten the landscape of southwestern Russia.
Published Oct 13, 2019
Moonglint and the lights of Torino, Lyon, and Marseille glitter in this nighttime astronaut photo of the Italy-France border region.
Published May 31, 2010
The Pinacates region of Mexico’s Sonoran Desert is one of the most unique and striking landscapes in North America. Located just a few miles south of the Mexico-Arizona border, this volcanic field originated with the rifting of the Gulf of California millions of years ago, but the features seen today (volcanic peaks, lava flows, cinder cones and collapsed craters) formed in the late Pleistocene period (2 million to 11,000 years ago). The volcanic range is surrounded by one of North America’s largest dune fields, Gran Desierto. Early in May 2004, the new Space Station crew (ISS-9) obtained high-resolution images of the Pinacates, allowing for detailed observations of the surface features. One example is a large volcanic crater (see box, and detail below) called Crater Elegante which is one of the most prominent and interesting features of the Pinacates.
Published Jun 8, 2004
The Béchar Basin of northwest Algeria formed as layers of sedimentary rocks from the Paleozoic Era (250-540 million years ago) folded and cracked during collisions of Africa and Europe during the Tertiary Period (2-65 million years ago). In this photograph of part of the basin captured by astronauts, dark brown to tan folded ridges of these Paleozoic sedimentary layers extend across the image from top to bottom.
Published Aug 6, 2007
Acquired September 14, 2010, this natural-color image shows a large, thin dust plume over Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Published Sep 14, 2010
This coastline is rugged, with mountains, dry river beds, a small delta, and steep cliffs that cast shadows on the landscape.
Published Nov 24, 2018
People often say that borders are not visible from space. But the line between Kazakhstan and China couldn't be clearer if it were drawn on the sand.
Published Aug 16, 2014
Acquired September 13, 2010, this natural-color image shows a dust storm over the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Published Sep 13, 2010
