Seen from the sky, it forms a black scar in the desert.
A very long land mark of which it took no less than four shots to capture its full extent.
This is the work unveiled by an unidentified astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The latter took photos of the Carrizozo Malpaís, a large basaltic lava flow, located in New Mexico, a state in the southwestern United States, reveals a NASA press release published on September 26.
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The various shots, taken on June 30, 2022, cover the approximately 33,700 hectares and 75 kilometers long of the formation.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), this lava flow, in the heart of the Chihuahua Desert, is the result of an eruption that occurred about 5000 years ago and which would have lasted between 20 and 30 year.
During this period, magma slowly flowed from a now inactive shield volcano [volcano characterized by fluid lava flows].
"The lava flow is one of the longest known to have arisen on Earth in the last 10,000 years
," reveals the USGS.
The Carrizozo Malpaís is a lava flow whose length is unprecedented.
It took four NASA shots to take it all.
NASA Earth Observatory
Highly detailed aerial images
As Live Science reports, the majority of the lava originated from a volcanic cone - a clump of ash and scoria from one or more eruptions - 27 meters high, which locals call 'Little Black Peak'. .
It is one of the highest points of the shield volcano, completes NASA.
The lightest areas on the pictures correspond to cracks and collapses caused by the formation of lava as it ages.
Known for a long time, the Carrizozo Malpaís could not be captured in detail.
The latest images released by NASA are the most detailed aerial images ever taken of the lava flow.
Contrary to what its dark color might suggest, the latter did not prevent life from appearing.
A number of plant species, characteristic of desert environments, have grown, such as the prickly pear or the juniper.
Humans have also left their mark.
A road bisects the territory north of the lava flow.
A railway line is also nearby.
So many traces that show the importance of the Carrizozo Malpaís in the surrounding landscape.