Images of
Mediterranean Sea
Appennine Mountains, Italy
Winter/Spring 1997
A large region of central Italy is visible in this synoptic, southeast view that
extends from the Adriatic Sea coast (bottom) to the Tyrrhenian Sea coast (top).
Three major physiographic provinces are observed in this image: the drier, less
inhabited, rocky limestone tablelands and narrow plains of the east coast
(bottom); the central part of the Alpine Mountain system, known as the Appennine
Mountains, that extend northwest-southeast along the spine of peninsular Italy;
and the area west of the Appennines that is made up of hills and volcanic
features. The dark, oval-shaped features (Lake Bolsena-largest and Lake
Bracciano) are water-filled calderas. Lake Trasimeno (aqua colored feature) is
also visible near the right (middle) margin of the scene. On the east side of
this central part of the Italian Peninsula, the rivers are close together and
flow swiftly in short parallel courses into the Adriatic Sea. The concentration
of whitish features reveals the location of snow covered higher elevations of
the Appennine Mountains, many exceeding 8000 feet (2440 meters) above sea level.
Rome, the Eternal City, is located south of Lake Bracciano (near top center of
the image) in the Tiber River Valley. Numerous passes and tunnels through the
mountains facilitate ground traffic between the east-west coasts (NASA).
