Remnants of Hurricane Patricia dropped heavy rains in Texas and Louisiana.
Published Oct 26, 2015
Sitting inside barrier islands of the eastern and southern United States—and cutting through them in points—the waterway provides a safer passage for shipping commerce.
Published Apr 7, 2014
The human landscape of Arabian cities stands out clearly when you see the lights.
Published Dec 30, 2013
Sediment and runoff plumes highlight the coast at the base of Italy’s boot.
Published Jan 19, 2015
It was Texas hot when this view of the capital city of Austin was taken in late July by astronaut Ed Lu. Adding to the rising temperatures were heated debates in the Texas Capitol Building, where a special session had convened. Eleven senate Democrats thwarted a redistricting vote by disappearing from the state. Were Lu, and his Expedition 7 partner Yuri Malenchenko looking for the missing Democrats? We’ll never know. Astronauts have always enjoyed observing cities around the world. These images of Austin provide a 2003 baseline for monitoring its regional development and growth.
Published Aug 24, 2003
Galveston Island has alternately been a home to Native Americans, a base for Mexico’s rebellion against Spain, a pirate kingdom, a sea port, and even the capital of the Republic of Texas. In September 1900, the city was largely destroyed by a powerful hurricane. This storm damage, combined with construction of the Houston Ship Channel and discovery of oil in eastern Texas, shifted the center of trade northwest to Houston. This astronaut photograph shows some of the human impacts in Galveston that are easily observed from the vantage point of low-Earth orbit. The city of Galveston dominates the eastern half of Galveston Island, appearing as the gray-white region at center right. A large seawall along the Gulf of Mexico—shown here along the southern coastline of Galveston Island—protects most of the city. To the west of Galveston, coastal wetlands are largely submerged by regional subsidence—sinking of the land as a result of ground water withdrawal by the petrochemical industry of Houston and Texas City.
Published Nov 27, 2006
Taken on July 31, 2010, this astronaut photograph shows an industrialized area of Turkey at the eastern edge of the Sea of Marmara.
Published Aug 23, 2010
Rigs gather oil and natural gas from Bahía de Campeche.
Published Jan 27, 2017
The city is a favorite subject for astronaut photography.
Published Mar 9, 2012
Acquired May 17, 2011, and May 22, 2011, these natural-color images show sediment in the Gulf of Mexico, one consequence of Mississippi River flooding.
Published Jun 23, 2011
