Earth as Art - Part 2

Lena Delta

Description: The Lena River, some 2,800 miles(4,500km) long, is one of the largest rivers in the world. The Lena Delta Reserve is the most extensive protected wilderness area in Russia. It is an important refuge and breeding grounds for many species of Siberian wildlife.

MacDonnell Ranges

Description: The MacDonnell Ranges are a band of mountains spanning Australia"s arid interior. Only a portion of the Ranges can be seen in this image.

Malaspina Glacier

Description: The tongue of the Malaspina Glacier, the largest glacier in Alaska, fills most of this image. The Malaspina lies west of Yakutat Bay and covers 1,500 sq mi (3,880 sq km).

Mayn River

Description: The Mayn River, seen here with what is thought to be a portion of the Anadyr River, flows through the far northeastern corner of Siberia.

Namaqualand

Description: Namaqualand in South Africa is known as the "gem of the Northern Cape." Portions of this area were turned into a national park in 1999, to preserve the abundant wildlife and brilliant wildflowers native to the area.

Namib Desert

Description: Namib-Naukluft National Park is an ecological preserve in Namibia"s vast Namib Desert. Coastal winds create the tallest sand dunes in the world here, with some dunes reaching 980 feet (300 meters) in height.

Parana River Delta

Description: The Parana River delta is a huge forested marshland about 32km northeast of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The area is a very popular tour destination. Guided boat tours can be taken into this vast labyrinth of marsh and trees. The Parana River delta is one of the world"s greatest bird-watching destinations. This image highlights the striking contrast between dense forest and wetland marshes, and the deep blue ribbon of the Parana River.

Richat Structure

Description: The so-called Richat Structure is a geological formation in the Maur Adrar Desert in the African country of Mauritania. Although it resembles an impact crater, the Richat Structure formed when a volcanic dome hardened and gradually eroded, exposing the onion-like layers of rock.

Sulaiman Mountains

Description: The Sulaiman Mountains are a major geological feature of Pakistan and one of the bordering ranges of the Indian subcontinent.

Terkezi Oasis

Description: A series of rocky outcroppings are a prominent feature of this Sahara Desert landscape near the Terkezi Oasis in the country of Chad.

The Optimist

Description: On the edge of the Kalahari Desert in Namibia, sand dunes are encroaching onto once-fertile lands in the north. Healthy vegetation appears red in this image; in the center, notice the lone red dot. It is the result of a center-pivot irrigation system, evidence that at least one optimistic farmer continues to work the fields despite the approaching sand.

Volga River Delta

Description: Where the Volga River flows into the Caspian Sea, it creates an extensive delta. The Volga Delta is comprised of more than 500 channels, and sustains the most productive fishing grounds in Eurasia.

West Fjords

Description: The West Fjords are a series of peninsulas in northwestern Iceland. They represent less than one-eighth the country"s land area, but their jagged perimeter accounts for more than half of Iceland"s total coastline.

Whirlpool in the Air

Description: This image shows a spinning formation of ice, clouds, and low-lying fog off the eastern coast of Greenland.

Yellowknife Wetlands

Description: Extensive wetlands lie near the town of Yellowknife, near the Great Slave Lake in Northwest Territories, Canada. The shallow lakes seen in this image have formed in grooves in the landscape that were carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age.

To be continued .......