SPACEPHOTOS

This color infrared southwest-looking, low-oblique photograph emphasizes the blue waters of Corpus Christi Bay and the city of Corpus Christi southwest of the bay. Corpus Christi, with a population of 235 000, is a major petroleum and natural gas center and a port of entry. Major industries include oil refineries, chemicals, cement, aluminum, refined zinc, smelting plants, food processing, and fishing. Tourist and recreational resorts have become a major business on North Padre Island east of the city on the Gulf of Mexico. West of the city, the Nueces River enters Nueces Bay, which, in turn, enters into Corpus Christi Bay. Southeast of the city the runways of the U.S. Naval Air Training Center are seen. West-east Interstate Highway 37 traverses Corpus Christi, crossing Laguna Madre, and terminating on North Padre Island. North-northeast of Corpus Christi Bay are Aransas and Copana Bays. Corpus Christi is subject to occasional hurricanes from the Gulf of Mexico. The last major storm to strike Corpus Christi was Hurricane Celia in 1970.