SPACEPHOTOS

Pyrenees Mountains, Spain and France Winter/Spring 1997 The snow-capped Pyrenees Mountains form a natural barrier and border that separates France (bottom-north) and Spain (top-south). Aneto Peak, visible in this image slightly above the center of the picture, is the highest peak (11165 feet-3403 meters) of the Pyrenees. Numerous well-entrenched valleys can be identified on both sides of the border. Although the higher (in elevation) valleys were glaciated during the last ice age (Pleistocene period) and show U-shaped valleys below the jagged peaks, the valleys are not too extensive; and settlement is sparse throughout the mountainous region. An extremely large alluvial fan, marked by alternating dark lines and lighter-colored swaths, is visible radiating northward in France (bottom center). Many source areas (headwaters) of tributary streams are visible (light colored, winding, linear features) in northern Spain as they drain southward to eventually flow into the Ebro River. Streams on the French side of the border eventually empty into the Garonne River.