Images
September 8, 2020 - Western Mongolia
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Hugged by the Altai, Khangai, and Tagna Tuva mountain ranges, western Mongolia sits in a large basin roughly 600 km (373 mi) long and 200 km (120) wide. With long, frigid winters, warm summers, and annual precipitation of only 50-150 mm (2-6 inches), the region has proven inhospitable and remains remote and relatively unchanged by human habitation. The presence of saline lakes, wetlands, a range of elevations, sparse scrublands brings diverse habitats that support substantial biodiversity, including rare species such as the snow leopard, Mongolian saiga, and Dalmatian pelican. The importance of this biologically diverse region is highlighted as its inclusion as a RAMSAR site, a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to several BirdLife International Important Bird Areas (IBA), and two Biosphere Reserves.
On September 2, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of western Mongolia. Several large, saline lakes mark the arid landscape. The largest, Uvs Nuur, sits near the border with Russia. Moving south, the next is Khyargas Lake, then a pair of lakes, Khar-Us and Khar, can be seen in the south. Khar Lake is located east of Khar-Us.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 9/2/2020
Resolutions:
1km (232.9 KB), 500m (606.5 KB), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Hugged by the Altai, Khangai, and Tagna Tuva mountain ranges, western Mongolia sits in a large basin roughly 600 km (373 mi) long and 200 km (120) wide. With long, frigid winters, warm summers, and annual precipitation of only 50-150 mm (2-6 inches), the region has proven inhospitable and remains remote and relatively unchanged by human habitation. The presence of saline lakes, wetlands, a range of elevations, sparse scrublands brings diverse habitats that support substantial biodiversity, including rare species such as the snow leopard, Mongolian saiga, and Dalmatian pelican. The importance of this biologically diverse region is highlighted as its inclusion as a RAMSAR site, a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to several BirdLife International Important Bird Areas (IBA), and two Biosphere Reserves.
On September 2, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of western Mongolia. Several large, saline lakes mark the arid landscape. The largest, Uvs Nuur, sits near the border with Russia. Moving south, the next is Khyargas Lake, then a pair of lakes, Khar-Us and Khar, can be seen in the south. Khar Lake is located east of Khar-Us.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 9/2/2020
Resolutions:
1km (232.9 KB), 500m (606.5 KB), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
