MSGID: 1:317/3 644966c7   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   April 26, 2023 - Australia's Red Centre   
      
      Australia   
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      Red and orange outback along with weathered mountain ridges dominate   
      the landscape of Australia’s Red Centre in this true-color image   
      acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)   
      on board NASA’s Terra satellite on April 24, 2023.   
      
      The Red Centre is the local name given to the southern desert region of   
      Australia’s Northern Territory, and gets its name not only because it   
      contains the median center point of Australia, said to be located west   
      of the Stuart Highway and south of Alice Springs, but because of the   
      stunning red tone of the soils. According to the National Oceanic and   
      Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Australia happens to have a perfect   
      environment for a form of chemical weathering called oxidation, which   
      occurs in rocks that contain high amounts of iron. In a hot, dry   
      environment, these types of rocks actually begin to rust. As the rust   
      expands, it weakens the rock and helps break it apart. The oxides   
      produced through this process give the ground its reddish hue.   
      
      The folded mountains that span this image are the MacDonnell Range. The   
      worn, parallel ridges were formed 300-350 million years ago and contain   
      not only granite, limestone, sandstone, and siltstone rocks, but also   
      stunning red quartzite peaks and gorges. In some areas, dry scrubby   
      grassland, known as a xeric shrub ecosystem, provides habitat for   
      several unusual endemic species. A patch of gray pixels can be seen   
      crossing the mountainous landscape roughly one-third of the way from   
      the right (east) side of the image. This is the town of Alice Springs,   
      the third-largest town of Northern Territory and the only town of any   
      size in the Red Centre.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Terra   
      Date Acquired: 4/24/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (208.4 KB),  500m (555.5 KB),  250m (327.7   
      KB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-04-26   
       
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