Safid River Delta, Rasht, Iran November 1995 The deltaic plain of the Safid River can be seen in this near-nadir view. The rugged, forested Elburz Mountains cover the upper and upper right portion of the image. The Caspian Sea is visible covering the bottom third of the image. The Safid River, 450 miles (725 km) long, rises in the Tallish Mountains of northwestern Iran and flows generally eastward, emptying into the Caspian Sea near the city of Rasht. The river has cut a water gap through the Elburz Mountains (upper right), and this gap provides a major transportation route between the capital city of Tehran (not visible on the image) and the Caspian lowlands. At the right center of the image, the city of Rasht, a major silk-manufacturing center, is discernible. Rasht is a trade center for an agricultural region where rice, cotton products, and peanuts are produced.

Safid River/Delta, Iran June 1998 - The Safid River has created a sizeable, swampy delta (upper left corner) along the southwest coast of the Caspian Sea in northwest Iran. Notice the "new" delta (middle left) actively being created by the sediment that is being deposited at the mouth of the Safid River. The Safid River originates in the Alborz Mountains, a small section of which is visible in the upper right corner of the image. This river is the only one to cross the entire width of the Alborz Mountains. The densely forested mountain slopes (dark landscape) are visible along the right edge of the image. Rasht, a major Iranian city noted for its unique cuisine and pleasant climate, can be identified (grayish-looking area) slightly below the center of the image. Several other smaller urban areas can also be located on the narrow coastal plain.

Source: Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth at NASA Johnson Space Center.


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