January 14, 2022 - Al Hajar Mountains

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Al Hajar Mountains
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The country of Oman sits on the northeastern portion of the Arabian
Peninsula, with waters of the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, and
Arabian Sea lapping along more than 1,200 miles (2,000 km) of
coastline. Most of the country is low-lying, hot, dry desert, with
extensive sand seas that stretch westward into the neighboring
countries of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The
northern-most section of Oman, however, contains rugged, high mountains
with a climate that supports widespread rich vegetation and even
beautiful waterfalls.

On January 10, 2022, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of
the dramatic topography of Oman’s Al Hajar Mountains. The dark tans and
grays mark rugged outcroppings of the highlands, which contrast
strongly against the light tans of the inland desert. Tints of light
green cover the mountainous region, marking areas of vegetation.

These mountain peaks consist primarily of Cretaceous limestone, a stone
created from sediments laid down deep underwater at the time the last
dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The mountains also contain igneous rock,
which was formed by magma, and metamorphic rock, fashioned under
intense heat or pressure. The limestone cliffs of this region support
rich soils that give rise to varied vegetation. Plant species change
with elevation, and the greatest species diversity appears in the
altitude range between 1,000 and 1,500 meters (3,280 and 4,920 feet).

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/12/2022
Resolutions: 1km (205.4 KB), 500m (584.6 KB), 250m (1.6 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-01-14

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