SPACEPHOTOS

Rhone River Delta, France Winter/Spring 1997 The valley and mouth of the Rhone River can be seen in this south-looking view. Separating the French Alps to the east (left) and the Massif Central to the west (right), the Rhone River Valley is covered with excellent vineyards, fruit and vegetable gardens. The Rhone River enters the scene from the bottom center of the image. The Durance River can be seen entering the scene near the left center of the view. The Durance River joins the Rhone River near the center of the image near the city of Avignon (city not discernible on image). Just to the south of Avignon, near Arles the Rhone River separates into two higly silted branches, the Grand Rhone which continues to flow generally southward into the Gulf of Lions (upper portion of the image), and the Petite Rhone which flows southeastward into a series of lagoons and marshes before entering the Gulf of Lyons.