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December 19, 2018 - Tengger Desert, Qinghai Lake, China
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The Tengger Desert sits in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at the southern edge of the massive Gobi Desert. An inland drainage basin situation far from any ocean, the desert sees little precipitation but extreme temperature variations throughout the year. The Tengger is the fourth largest desert in China and, along with the larger Gobi, contributes to the frequent sand storm that sweep the region. Although quite arid, several lakes along the edge of the desert and large sweeping sand dune make parts of this desert a popular tourist attraction.
The large lake sitting southwest of the Tengger is known as Qinghai Lake. It is saline and alkaline and with a surface area of 1,667 square miles (4,317 square kilometers) and an average depth of 69 feet (21 meters), Qinghai Lake captures the record as the largest lake in China. It is an important bird area, providing a resting spot for many species of migratory birds.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of China’s Tengger Desert and Lake Qinghai on December 17, 2018.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 12/17/2018
Resolutions:
1km (988.2 KB), 500m (2.7 MB), 250m (2.2 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
The Tengger Desert sits in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at the southern edge of the massive Gobi Desert. An inland drainage basin situation far from any ocean, the desert sees little precipitation but extreme temperature variations throughout the year. The Tengger is the fourth largest desert in China and, along with the larger Gobi, contributes to the frequent sand storm that sweep the region. Although quite arid, several lakes along the edge of the desert and large sweeping sand dune make parts of this desert a popular tourist attraction.
The large lake sitting southwest of the Tengger is known as Qinghai Lake. It is saline and alkaline and with a surface area of 1,667 square miles (4,317 square kilometers) and an average depth of 69 feet (21 meters), Qinghai Lake captures the record as the largest lake in China. It is an important bird area, providing a resting spot for many species of migratory birds.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of China’s Tengger Desert and Lake Qinghai on December 17, 2018.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 12/17/2018
Resolutions:
1km (988.2 KB), 500m (2.7 MB), 250m (2.2 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
