Image: Lhasa, Tibet

Description: Mountains seem to radiate spoke-like from the flat plain on which the city is built. The city, however, is an oasis. Lhasa is red and silver in the false colour image in which plant-covered land is red and man-made surfaces tend to be silver or white. The Lhasa River winds through the valley. Its wandering channels provide evidence that the ground is relatively flat, since the topography of the land isn’t forcing the river’s course. The fortress-like Potala Palace complex sits on a small rise in the centre of the city, forming two large white squares that are roughly the size of the city blocks visible around the complex. It is the largest single man-made surface in the image. The summer palace, Norbulingka, by contrast, is the largest park in the image. It is the red, plant-covered rectangle west of Potala Palace. The two sites together are a World Heritage Site. The final most notable feature in the image is the Lhalu Wetland Nature Reserve on the northern side of the city. The reserve is red-brown with black smudges where water darkens the surface. The natural wetland influences Lhasa’s climate, adding humidity to the city. The plants are also an important source of oxygen to a city with a thin, high-altitude atmosphere. The Lhalu Wetland Nature Reserve provides habitat for a wide range of birds.
Title: Lhasa, Tibet
Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
Author: Jesse Allen
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No