The Rocky Mountains

Credit: Credit: Jeff Schmaltz; MODIS team; NASA, Posted on: Wednesday, 7 April 2004, 06:00 CDT Download full size image

Drawing the border between the western valleys and the central plains of the United States, the Rocky Mountains traverse this true-color Terra MODIS image from March 29, 2004. Snow still caps the upper reaches of the mountains, though the spring season's warmer temperatures are fast approaching. Also visible is the bicolored Great Salt Lake in northeastern Utah. The lake's two colors are caused by restricted water circulation; a railroad crosses the lake on a rock-filled causeway, which restricts water flow between the two portions of the lake. Consequently, circulation is decreased, and the salinity level of the upper portion of the lake has increased. Salinity levels in turn affect the kinds of organisms that grow in the water, which in turn affect the color of the water when seen from space.

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