Monday, November 7, 2011

Lake Eyre from the Air

G'day from the Land Down Under! We are visiting Australia...not to be confused with Austria...this is the country with an extra syllable and kangaroos.  We flew over the most amazing lake, the largely dry Lake Eyre, between Sydney and Uluru (Ayres Rock).  The mauve color of this lake bed and the patterns and colors resulting from different salt deposits and algae make it a thrilling sight.  At 15 meters below sea level, Lake Eyre is Australia's lowest point. The sixth largest lake in the world, Lake Eyre was thought to fill once in a typical lifetime yet it has filled up several times in the past decade.

The lined edge and the mauve color of the desert Lake Eyre caught my eye first...

...but I found the white salt waves on the lake's edge equally fascinating and beautiful.


We were not flying the retired Space Shuttle but the photo appears to show both the curvature of the Earth as well as the "thin blue line" of our atmosphere above Lake Eyre.  I'm guessing it must be an optical illusion but perhaps it is possible it is due to being relatively close to the South Pole.  Any scientists out there who can solve the mystery?









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