SPACEPHOTOS

The northern foothills of the Tien Shan (mountains) slope into the southern margin of the arid Dzungarian Basin in northwest China. The eroded material from the higher mountains to the south, have produced large, fertile, alluvial fans that are being used extensively for irrigated farming (alternating and angular color patterns). Several intermittently flowing streams have cut perpendicular valleys through the mountain ridgeline (linear geologic feature) that extends diagonally through the center of the image. The Chinese city of Urumqi is located near the upper left corner of the image. An airport runway (light-colored linear feature near the left middle edge of the frame) is visible northwest of the city.