NASA Photo ID: STS065-102-010      File Name: 20157319.jpg
  Film Type: 70mm                    Date Taken: 07/23/94
  Title: STS-65 Earth observation of dust plumes from Rio Grande in Southern Bolivia
  Description:
  STS-65 Earth observation taken aboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102,
  is of dust plumes from the Rio Grande in Southern Bolivia.  A series of
  dust plumes can be seen rising from sand banks in the Rio Grande of
  southern Bolivia, bottom right of this northeast-looking view.  The Rio
  Grande brings sediment from the Andes (foothills visible in the foreground,
  bottom left) and flows across the flat country of the northern Chaco plain. 
  During the low-flow season, sand banks of this sediment are exposed to
  northerly winds which often blow dust into the surrounding forest.  One of
  the significances of the dust plumes is that dust acts as a source of
  nutrient for the local soils.  This is the most impressive example of dust
  ever recorded on Shuttle photography from this river.  Such plumes have
  been seen on photographs from four previous missions (STS-31, STS-47,
  STS-48, STS-51I) emanating from the Rio Grande.  The plumes are regularly
  space because the sand is blown only from those reaches of the river which
  are aligned north-south (and river meanders are usually regularly spaced). 
  Sand dunes from an ancient sand field appear as yellow specks bottom right. 
  A large rectangular area of agriculture can be seen top left.  Beyond this
  under the clouds, lies the provincial capital of Santa Cruz (top left
  corner).