Desert Jewels

This image of irrigated agriculture in the deserts of central Saudi Arabia, 280 miles west of Riyadh, was taken by the Landsat 7 satellite on February 5, 2000, while orbiting 435 miles above the surface of the Earth at a speed of roughly 16,000 miles per hour. The deserts were made to bloom by pumping fossil water from deep below the Earth's surface. The aquifers which supply these fields are ancient and finite. When the fossil water runs out, the desert sands will return. Like the irrigation projects of many arid regions, the Saudis' desert jewels will soon fade.

Aside from providing beautiful images, Landsat is used in desert environments to build maps of irrigated agriculture, to prospect for water and minerals, and to manage natural resources. The workhorse of NASA's Earth observing satellite constellation, Landsat-series satellites have been on orbit continuously since 1972, making Landsat the longest-running satellite collection program in the world.

--LiveScience Staff

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Credit: David Potere/Princeton University, 2006 Art of Science Competition