SPACEPHOTOS

Lake Scutari, Dinaric Alps, Yugoslavia/Albania Winter/Spring 1997 Lake Scutari and the rugged terrain of southwestern Yugoslavia and northwestern Albania can be seen in this southwest-looking view. Situated on the border between Montenegro Province, Yugoslavia (right) and Albania (left), Lake Scutari is 25 miles (40 km) long and from 4 to 8 miles (6 to 13 km) wide. The lake’s depth and area varies seasonally. Floods sometimes occur in the area surrounding Lake Scutari in the winter. Once an inlet of the Adriatic Sea, Lake Scutari is now separated from the sea by an alluvial isthmus. Lake Scutari is fed by the Morala River at its north end and is drained by the Buene River southeastward in Albania to the Drin River. The rugged Dinaric Alps dominate the coastline northwest of Lake Scutari. The Dinaric Alps are chiefly cracked limestone strata that form long valleys and contain topographical oddities such as caves and disappearing rivers. The Gulf of Tivatski is visible just to the right of the center of the image.