NASA image of an ancient lava flow in the New Mexico desert

There’s no point in denying it, as astronauts have a privileged view of our planet when they’re in space. They may notice details Earth Otherwise it will be impossible to see components International Space Stationwhich they identified from the top of ancient lava.

It may seem like a particular discovery, but it actually has great scientific, as well as geological value as you can easily imagine. The volcanic eruptions They can withstand a lot of surprises, even “hide” some of them Secret Mathematical EquationsWhat is known rather than what is admired by the stars? The image taken by the International Space Station refers to a specific country.

As it appeared in the past few hours, an astronaut noticed an ancient lava flow that stretches across most of the desert New Mexico. It almost looks like a scar from the earth, because the frozen river of volcanic rock is nothing more than a black “mark”, to be exact a basaltic lava flow. It is located in the city of Carrizozo, a place that also gave its name to the stream itself, known as Carrizozo Malpais. The dimensions are no less impressive, with a total area of ​​\u200b\u200b337 square kilometers and a length of about 80 kilometers.

Lava as a precious testimony

As explained by experts on this topic, it is one of the largest remnants of lava that formed on our planet in The last 10 thousand years, so precious testimony from the past on Earth. The eruption of the volcano in question was supposed to have started five thousand years ago and lasted between two and three decades. Then the magma comes out very slowly, Before the volcano itself becomes dormant. The photo taken by the International Space Station is nothing more than a collage of 4 separate dated photos June 30. The astronaut who experimented with this “artistic creation” has not been identified, but is most likely part of the Expedition 67 crew.

Where did the lava come from?

We’re having one of the most detailed images of the area ever seen regarding the lava flow. A lot of volcanic material would have leaked out It is only 27 meters high, specifically in agreement with a geographic area where magma tends to rise very easily through the Earth’s crust before erupting to the surface. The irregular appearance of the icy current is the result of the scattering of light inside Cracks and depressions in rocks and other special land formations. There is no shortage of interactions with what modern civilization is.

In fact, this lava scar was literally cut in two in the northern part of a long road running through New Mexico and up to a railroad. The above image may indicate that there is no life form in this region of the United States, but it does exist Various desert plants, such as the prickly pear and juniper trees. This indicates that flowers and shrubs can smoothly form in the frozen magma and a lot of it will form. At this point the “photography” bar rises, come on International Space Station astronauts New shots are expected to take your breath away.