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April 28, 2007
From the archives of the NASA image of the day series:
NASA, Death Valley National Park, 2000
I haven't been there. It would be an interesting place to visit.
The NASA blurb interprets the image thus:
In this image, green indicates vegetation, which increases with altitude. The peaks of Death Valley National Park sport forests of juniper and pine. The dots of brilliant green near the right edge of the image fall outside park boundaries, and probably result from irrigation. On the floor of the valley, vegetation is sparse, yet more than 1,000 different species eke out an existence in the park, some of them sending roots many feet below ground. The varying shades of brown, beige and rust indicate bare ground; the different colors result from varying mineral compositions in the rocks and dirt. Although they appear to be pools of water, the bright blue-green patches in the scene are actually salt pans that hold only a little moisture.
The 1,000 different species eking out an existence in the park' is an example of what we mean by biodiversity. It is what needs protecting.
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I have been here a couple of times. Very amazing place. I spent the night the first time. It was over 100 degrees F at midnight. I went mountain biking on the salt pan in the moonlight. Complete isolation. Very dramatic from above.