A stunning image of shell tectonics in Xinjiang , China , is NASA’sTournament Earth 2015photo contest succeeder . The colorful jagged lines are the result of continent collisions and cracks in the Earth ’s crust .
The tournament pits thirty - two of the best Earth Observatory simulacrum against each other , with the victor vote for by the people . This class ’s unveiling included aradar imageof ice from the South Pole , asatellite imageof the boundary line between Kazakhstan and China , and a flash of lighteningphotographedby an astronaut aboard the International Space Station .
Below is the winning entree in full sentiment :
Image credit : NASA Earth Observatoryby Robert Simmon and Jesse Allen , using Landsat datum from the USGS Earth Explorer .
The formation in the photo is the Keping Shan driving force belt in China ’s northwesterly Xinjiang responsibility , and the ikon was taken via theOperational Land Imager(OLI ) on NASA ’s Landsat 8 satellite on July 30 , 2013 .
The multicolored rock ‘n’ roll and ridge are more than350 millionsyears old , which over sentence have been contract into wavy - patterned plication and pushed up intothrust faults . The in high spirits hills jut 1,200 meters ( 3,900 foot ) above the nearby washstand .
According to NASA ’s Earth Observatory : “ The ruddy stratum near the top of the succession areDevoniansandstones formed by ancient rivers . The green layers areSiluriansandstones organise in a pretty - rich ocean . The ointment - colored layers areCambrian - Ordovicianlimestone formed in a shallow sea . ” The even lighter - colored region are the remnants of dried - up lakes .
Though beautiful from above , the flaw are heavy to see from ground level unless you take a four - hour wage increase along remote trails . “ There ’s a not bad point at the top of the base on balls into the next valley [ near the ‘ Piqiang Fault ’ label ] where you could stand on the defect itself , ” say geologistSebastian Turnerto NASA . “ To one side , you’re able to see Welsh - aged rocks , while you’re able to see Devonian - elderly rocks to the other . It gives you a real sense of just how much move the fault accommodates . ”
