Richat Structure Enhanced Photograph by Weston Westmoreland

Richat Structure Enhanced

by Weston Westmoreland

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Tapestry

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Throw Pillow

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Fleece Blanket

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Shower Curtain

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Bath Towel

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Ornament

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Jigsaw Puzzle

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Tote Bag

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Weekender Tote Bag

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Zip Pouch

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Portable Battery Charger

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Yoga Mat

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Sticker

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iPhone Case

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Beach Towel

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Title

Richat Structure Enhanced

Artist

Weston Westmoreland

Medium

Photograph - Photograph

Description

Richat Structure, Mauritania, Africa. Enhanced.

Lost in the Mauritanian Sahara desert, The Richat Structure has intrigued astronautssince NASA sent humans into orbit. This circular geologic feature is thought to be caused by an uplifted dome. Geologists would classify it as a domed anticline, eroded to expose the originally flat rock layers.

In this kind of geologic structure, rocks in the center are older than rocks forming the outer rings. This structure measures 28 miles across and is made up of igneous and sedimentary rocks. There are several faults visible (upper left) where strata that were once continuous have been shifted apart.

The 28 mile-diameter circular Richat structure is one of the geological features easier to observe from space than from down on the ground, and has been a familiar landmark to astronauts since the earliest missions.

Once thought to be the result of a meteor impact, researchers now believe it was caused by a large dome of molten rock uplifting and, once at the surface, being shaped by wind and water into what we see today. Concentric bands of resistant quartzite rocks form ridges, with valleys of less-resistant rock between them.

The dark area on the left is part of the Adrar plateau of sedimentary rock standing some 200 m above the surrounding desert sands. A large area covered by sand dunes – called an erg – can be seen in the lower-right part of the image, and sand is encroaching into the structure’s southern side.

Zooming in on the southern side of the bullseye, we can see individual trees and bushes as tiny dots. These follow a river-like structure that appears to have been dry when this image was acquired, a few weeks after the rainy season. Some areas to the south and east of the Richat appear to be covered with temporary lakes, which are dry for most of the year.

This image, also featured on the Earth from Space video programme, was acquired on 23 November 2010 by the Advanced Visible and Near Infrared Radiometer on Japan’s ALOS satellite.

Original image by NASA, Andrea Meado, Jacobs Technology, JETS Contract at NASA-JSC, further enhancements by Weston Westmoreland.

More NASA and Hubble enhanced images one copy-paste away at https://weston-westmoreland.pixels.com/collections/astronomy

Weston Westmoreland