• Bonjour B, what begins with B? Biomass and boreal forests. Beirut, Barcelona, and Brasília. A bunch of babbling birds bunched up along Holla Bend. On August 4, 2014, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 acquired this image of the Arkansas River and the Holla Bend Wildlife Refuge. In the winter, it is common for the refuge to host 100,000 ducks and geese at once. Courtesy NASA
    Bonjour B, what begins with B? Biomass and boreal forests. Beirut, Barcelona, and Brasília. A bunch of babbling birds bunched up along Holla Bend. On August 4, 2014, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 acquired this image of the Arkansas River and the Holla Bend Wildlife Refuge. In the winter, it is common for the refuge to host 100,000 ducks and geese at once. Courtesy NASA
  • Big C, little C, what begins with C? This curving crescent of carbonate and quartz clinging to the coast. There is CloudSat and CALIPSO. Contrails from jets cruising over cumulus clouds. The Corolis force, chlorofluorocarbons, and crafty coccolithophores! An astronaut captured this photograph of an artificial island at the southern end of Bahrain Island on January 23, 2011. Courtesy NASA
    Big C, little C, what begins with C? This curving crescent of carbonate and quartz clinging to the coast. There is CloudSat and CALIPSO. Contrails from jets cruising over cumulus clouds. The Corolis force, chlorofluorocarbons, and crafty coccolithophores! An astronaut captured this photograph of an artificial island at the southern end of Bahrain Island on January 23, 2011. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with D? Decomposing detritus and dust deposited on a dimpled island during deglaciation. Deserts, deltas, and deforestation. The Enhanced Thematic Mapper on Landsat 7 acquired this image of Akimiski Island in James Bay on August 9, 2000. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with D? Decomposing detritus and dust deposited on a dimpled island during deglaciation. Deserts, deltas, and deforestation. The Enhanced Thematic Mapper on Landsat 7 acquired this image of Akimiski Island in James Bay on August 9, 2000. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with E? Earth, of course. Evaporation and the exosphere. Egypt and Eyjafjallajökull. Eskers, erratics, El Niño, and EO-1. This ephemeral entourage of algae off the east coast of an island where English is spoken! On October 25, 2009, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of a phytoplankton bloom off the coast of New Zealand. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with E? Earth, of course. Evaporation and the exosphere. Egypt and Eyjafjallajökull. Eskers, erratics, El Niño, and EO-1. This ephemeral entourage of algae off the east coast of an island where English is spoken! On October 25, 2009, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of a phytoplankton bloom off the coast of New Zealand. Courtesy NASA
  • Big F, little f. What begins with F? Firn-filled fjords and frozen forms on folded, fossil-filled facies of rock! Fog, fossil fuels, and faults. France, Fort Collins, and don’t forget Fiji. The Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 acquired this false-color image of valleys and snow-covered mountain ranges in southeastern Tibet on August 4, 2014. Firn is a granular type of snow often found on the surface of a glacier before it has been compressed into ice. Courtesy NASA
    Big F, little f. What begins with F? Firn-filled fjords and frozen forms on folded, fossil-filled facies of rock! Fog, fossil fuels, and faults. France, Fort Collins, and don’t forget Fiji. The Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 acquired this false-color image of valleys and snow-covered mountain ranges in southeastern Tibet on August 4, 2014. Firn is a granular type of snow often found on the surface of a glacier before it has been compressed into ice. Courtesy NASA
  • Good day, G. What begins with G? Geostationary satellites in geosynchronous orbits. Greenhouse gases and global warming. Glaciers…going, going, gone. These glorious grains of sand gently groomed by the grinding power of the Pacific Ocean. This image of Pinaki Island was captured by astronauts on the International Space Station in April 2001. Courtesy NASA
    Good day, G. What begins with G? Geostationary satellites in geosynchronous orbits. Greenhouse gases and global warming. Glaciers…going, going, gone. These glorious grains of sand gently groomed by the grinding power of the Pacific Ocean. This image of Pinaki Island was captured by astronauts on the International Space Station in April 2001. Courtesy NASA
  • Hello H, what begins with H? Haze, hurricanes, and hydrocarbons. Hawaii and Hakodate. Hummocky humus heaped on these hills in the heart of Kyrgyzstan. On August 30, 2014, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 acquired this image of rivers running through colourful ridges in southwestern Kyrgyzstan. Courtesy NASA
    Hello H, what begins with H? Haze, hurricanes, and hydrocarbons. Hawaii and Hakodate. Hummocky humus heaped on these hills in the heart of Kyrgyzstan. On August 30, 2014, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 acquired this image of rivers running through colourful ridges in southwestern Kyrgyzstan. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with I? In situ measurements and infrared radiation. Ice sheets and isthmuses. Istanbul and Ilopango. This intriguing image of India’s Andaman Island after an intimidating incident involving an earthquake. On February 10, 2007, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of the Andaman Islands. The thin, bright rings surrounding several of the islands are coral reefs that were lifted up by a massive earthquake near Sumatra in 2004. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with I? In situ measurements and infrared radiation. Ice sheets and isthmuses. Istanbul and Ilopango. This intriguing image of India’s Andaman Island after an intimidating incident involving an earthquake. On February 10, 2007, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of the Andaman Islands. The thin, bright rings surrounding several of the islands are coral reefs that were lifted up by a massive earthquake near Sumatra in 2004. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with J? Jason-1 and the jet stream. Jerusalem, Jakarta, and Johnson Space Center. This jade-colored coral reef juxtaposed against the jumble of the sea. On July 17, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 captured this image of the Trunk Reef near Townsville, Australia. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with J? Jason-1 and the jet stream. Jerusalem, Jakarta, and Johnson Space Center. This jade-colored coral reef juxtaposed against the jumble of the sea. On July 17, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 captured this image of the Trunk Reef near Townsville, Australia. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with K? Kamchatka’s Kizimen, Kronotsky, and Krasheninnikov volcanoes. Kelp, karst, and kettle lakes. Kilauea and Krakatau. Katabatic winds cruising down crevasses of ice in Canada! On August 3, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 acquired this image of glaciers at the Sirmilik National Park Pond Inlet in Mittimatalik, Canada. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with K? Kamchatka’s Kizimen, Kronotsky, and Krasheninnikov volcanoes. Kelp, karst, and kettle lakes. Kilauea and Krakatau. Katabatic winds cruising down crevasses of ice in Canada! On August 3, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 acquired this image of glaciers at the Sirmilik National Park Pond Inlet in Mittimatalik, Canada. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with L? Las Vegas and Le Havre. Landsat, lidar, and the lithosphere. These little lumps of frozen liquid littered across the Northeast like lamb’s fleece. On October 30, 2008, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on the Aqua satellite captured this image of snow across the northeastern United States. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with L? Las Vegas and Le Havre. Landsat, lidar, and the lithosphere. These little lumps of frozen liquid littered across the Northeast like lamb’s fleece. On October 30, 2008, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on the Aqua satellite captured this image of snow across the northeastern United States. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with M? The meandering Mississippi. Mumbai, Miami, and Moscow. These medial moraines merging muck and minerals for millennia! On August 14, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 captured this image of glaciers in the Tian Shan mountains in northeastern Kyrgyzstan. The trail of brown sediment in the middle of the uppermost glacier is a medial moraine, a term glaciologists use to describe sediment that accumulates in the middle of merging glaciers. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with M? The meandering Mississippi. Mumbai, Miami, and Moscow. These medial moraines merging muck and minerals for millennia! On August 14, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 captured this image of glaciers in the Tian Shan mountains in northeastern Kyrgyzstan. The trail of brown sediment in the middle of the uppermost glacier is a medial moraine, a term glaciologists use to describe sediment that accumulates in the middle of merging glaciers. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with N? Numerous cloud condensation nuclei in the North Pacific! Nefarious nitrogen dioxide and NOx. The near infrared and NDVI and the Nimbus satellite. Nor’easters and the Nile at night. On March 4, 2009, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on the Terra satellite captured this image of ship tracks over the Pacific. Ship emissions contain small particles that cause the clouds to form. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with N? Numerous cloud condensation nuclei in the North Pacific! Nefarious nitrogen dioxide and NOx. The near infrared and NDVI and the Nimbus satellite. Nor’easters and the Nile at night. On March 4, 2009, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on the Terra satellite captured this image of ship tracks over the Pacific. Ship emissions contain small particles that cause the clouds to form. Courtesy NASA
  • Olá O, what begins with O? Was it an odd inorganic object from outer space that obliterated this piece of Mauritania? Of course. What else begins with O? The Okavango Delta. Oxbows, oozing lava, and the ozone layer. On January 24, 2008, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on the Terra satellite captured this image of Tenoumer meteorite crater in Mauritania. The meteorite struck Earth between 10,000 and 30,000 years ago. Courtesy NASA
    Olá O, what begins with O? Was it an odd inorganic object from outer space that obliterated this piece of Mauritania? Of course. What else begins with O? The Okavango Delta. Oxbows, oozing lava, and the ozone layer. On January 24, 2008, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on the Terra satellite captured this image of Tenoumer meteorite crater in Mauritania. The meteorite struck Earth between 10,000 and 30,000 years ago. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with P? Plumes from Pavlof. Plate tectonics, polynyas, and pumice in pyroclastic flows. Paris and Perth. The powerful push of water polishing pebbles as it passes permafrost along the Mackenzie River. On August 4, 2005, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer sensor on the Terra satellite captured this false-colour image of the Mackenzie River Delta in Canada. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with P? Plumes from Pavlof. Plate tectonics, polynyas, and pumice in pyroclastic flows. Paris and Perth. The powerful push of water polishing pebbles as it passes permafrost along the Mackenzie River. On August 4, 2005, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer sensor on the Terra satellite captured this false-colour image of the Mackenzie River Delta in Canada. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with Q? QuikSCAT, quakes, and quicksand. The quirky quixotic quartz pebbles in this lake with a queer shape! On November 29, 2004, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this image of Lonar Crater in India. Shocked quartz - minerals with an unusual structure that can only form under intense pressure - offers a clue that the lake was formed by a large meteorite. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with Q? QuikSCAT, quakes, and quicksand. The quirky quixotic quartz pebbles in this lake with a queer shape! On November 29, 2004, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this image of Lonar Crater in India. Shocked quartz - minerals with an unusual structure that can only form under intense pressure - offers a clue that the lake was formed by a large meteorite. Courtesy NASA
  • R, what beings with R? Radiometers and radiosondes. Rome and Rotterdam. The resplendent solar radiation reflecting from the surface of this lake. On January 20, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 captured this image of Lago Menendez in Argentina. Courtesy NASA
    R, what beings with R? Radiometers and radiosondes. Rome and Rotterdam. The resplendent solar radiation reflecting from the surface of this lake. On January 20, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 captured this image of Lago Menendez in Argentina. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with S? Swirling stratocumulus sliding over salty Atlantic seas! Stratovolcanoes, sulfates, and sunglint. Satellites and spectrometers. On April 29, 2009, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on the Terra satellite acquired this image of clouds swirling over the Atlantic Ocean. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with S? Swirling stratocumulus sliding over salty Atlantic seas! Stratovolcanoes, sulfates, and sunglint. Satellites and spectrometers. On April 29, 2009, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on the Terra satellite acquired this image of clouds swirling over the Atlantic Ocean. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with T? Taal and Tolbachik. Taiga, typhoons, tornadoes, and thunderstorms. The trove of trees and towns tucked into this terrain in the UAE. On March 9, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 captured this image of development along two roads in Liwa. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with T? Taal and Tolbachik. Taiga, typhoons, tornadoes, and thunderstorms. The trove of trees and towns tucked into this terrain in the UAE. On March 9, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 captured this image of development along two roads in Liwa. Courtesy NASA
  • U, what begins with U? Ulaanbaatar. Ultraviolet radiation and urbanisation. This undulating uplifted river up in Utah. On May 9, 2004, the Ikonos satellite captured this image of Gooseneck State Park in Utah. Courtesy NASA
    U, what begins with U? Ulaanbaatar. Ultraviolet radiation and urbanisation. This undulating uplifted river up in Utah. On May 9, 2004, the Ikonos satellite captured this image of Gooseneck State Park in Utah. Courtesy NASA
  • Big V. Little V. What begins with V? Vast volumes of volcanic ash veering in variable winds! Vladivostok, Venice, and Venezuela’s Lake Valencia. On March 23, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 acquired this image of ash on the snow around Shiveluch - one of the largest and most active volcanoes on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Courtesy NASA
    Big V. Little V. What begins with V? Vast volumes of volcanic ash veering in variable winds! Vladivostok, Venice, and Venezuela’s Lake Valencia. On March 23, 2015, the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 acquired this image of ash on the snow around Shiveluch - one of the largest and most active volcanoes on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with W? Wayward wisps of dust wafting in winter winds. Washington and Warsaw. Water, wavelengths, and weathering. On January 13, 2009, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of dust blowing over the Red Sea. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with W? Wayward wisps of dust wafting in winter winds. Washington and Warsaw. Water, wavelengths, and weathering. On January 13, 2009, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of dust blowing over the Red Sea. Courtesy NASA
  • What begins with X? There are xenoliths, the xylem in xeric woodlands, and the cities of Xian and Xalapa. Not much else begins with X, so relaX and enjoy this eXcellent icy X! On August 7, 2012, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this false-colour image of the northwest corner of Leidy Glacier in Greenland. Courtesy NASA
    What begins with X? There are xenoliths, the xylem in xeric woodlands, and the cities of Xian and Xalapa. Not much else begins with X, so relaX and enjoy this eXcellent icy X! On August 7, 2012, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this false-colour image of the northwest corner of Leidy Glacier in Greenland. Courtesy NASA
  • What begin with Y? A youngish underground river yearning for water in northern Namibia. Yellowstone, the Yukon delta, and the Yellow Sea. On December 25, 2000, by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this false-colour image of the Ugab River in Namibia. Courtesy NASA
    What begin with Y? A youngish underground river yearning for water in northern Namibia. Yellowstone, the Yukon delta, and the Yellow Sea. On December 25, 2000, by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this false-colour image of the Ugab River in Namibia. Courtesy NASA
  • Z, what begins with Z? Zambia and Zimbabwe. Zenith and zooplankton. Zillions of smoke particles zipping, zooming, and zigzagging above Canada! On July 11, 2012, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of wildfire smoke over Canada. Courtesy NASA
    Z, what begins with Z? Zambia and Zimbabwe. Zenith and zooplankton. Zillions of smoke particles zipping, zooming, and zigzagging above Canada! On July 11, 2012, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of wildfire smoke over Canada. Courtesy NASA

World

UAE earns spot in ‘space alphabet’

  • English
  • Arabic

From space you can see everything, including, it seems, all 26 letters of the alphabet. Three years ago, Adam Voiland, a science writer and social-media manager for Nasa, appealed for help in finding natural features and phenomena. Three years later, this is the result. Voiland says some letters were harder to find, including A, B and R. The letter T may seem more familiar. It is formed by the intersection of the E45 and E90 in Liwa.

A: Utah’s Green river

B: River in an Arkansas wildlife refuge

C: An artificial island in Bahrain

D: Akimiski island in James Bay, Canada

E: Phytoplankton bloom off New Zealand

F: Valleys and mountain ranges in Tibet

G: Pinaki island in the South Pacific

H: Rivers in Kyrgyzstan ridges

I: India’s Andaman Islands

J: Trunk Reef off Townsville, Australia

K: Glaciers in Mittimatalik, Canada

L: Snow in the United States

M: Glaciers in Kyrgyzstan

N: Ship tracks over the Pacific Ocean

O: Tenoumer crater in Mauritania

P: The Mackenzie river delta in Canada

Q: Lonar crater in India

R: Lago Menendez in Argentina

S: Clouds over the Atlantic Ocean

T: Intersection of E45 and E90 in Liwa

U: River in Gooseneck state park, Utah

V: Ash on Russia’s Shiveluch volcano

W: Dust blowing over the Red Sea

X: The Leidy glacier in Greenland

Y: The Ugab river in Namibia

Z: Wildfire smoke over Canada

Photos courtesy Nasa

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