Here's another chance to play geographical detective! This
natural-color image from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer
(MISR) instrument on the Terra satellite represents an area of about
296 kilometers x 353 kilometers, and was acquired by MISR's nadir
(vertical-viewing) camera sometime in 2003. These data were processed
at the NASA Langley Atmospheric Sciences Data Center. Terra circles the
Earth in the same orbit as Landsat 7, flying at an altitude of about
700 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
Below are 12 statements about the island from which the large volcanic
eruption plume is emanating. Use any reference materials you like and
mark each statement true or false:
1. The island is part of a volcanic arc system situated near a tectonic
plate boundary.
2. The last major volcanic eruption on this island occurred in 1981.
3. The island contains mixed broadleaf forests, weathered clay soils,
and a lake infused by volcanic gases which raise the water's pH to
about 10.
4. The type of clouds pictured here are often associated with lightning
and sustained rainstorms lasting several hours or more.
5. The island is inhabited by an endangered species of bird whose
newly-hatched young are feathered, able to walk, and able regulate
their body temperature.
6. Snorkelers around this island are likely to encounter Acanthurus
achilles and Zanclus cornutus.
7. The archipelago to which the island belongs was spotted in 1521 by a
Portuguese explorer who named the islands after the wife of a Spanish
king.
8. The island is part of an archipelago that was claimed as a territory
of one nation in 1920 and of another nation in 1944.
9. The wreckage of a two-engine propeller-driven bomber is located on
the island.
10. A director who made several films starring Marlene Dietrich also
directed her in a movie whose title contains this island's name.
11. In spring of 1990 the island's residents were evacuated because of
the impending landfall of a devastating typhoon.
12. Bonus question: MISR captured this image of the island and its
surroundings on either January 6, March 11, or May 14. True or false?
See quiz answers
MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC.
The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of
Technology.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team.
Text acknowledgment: Clare Averill (Acro Service Corporation/Jet
Propulsion Laboratory), David J. Diner (Jet Propulsion Laboratory).
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