Satellite image of South America at night. Large cities are identifiable by the light they produce.

Question 1 Clue:

In this nighttime view, the continent of South America sparkles with lights from cities concentrated along the coasts. A large region in the interior is relatively dark. This vast area is home to huge numbers of plant and animal species. What is this area called?

DMSP mosaic courtesy of NASA/GSFC and NOAA/NGDC

Amazon Rainforest 

Satellite image of a state in the United States that contains both the Finger Lakes and the Hudson River.

Question 2 Clue:

This U. S. state contains the Finger Lakes and the Hudson River. Name the state.

Landsat image with National Elevation Dataset topography courtesy of USGS

New York

Satellite image of a channel of water with the city of Dover to the west, and the city of Calais to the east.

Question 3 Clue:

A large tunnel with entrances near Dover, England, and Calais, France, crosses beneath a body of water. Name the body of water.

Aster image courtesy of NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

English Channel

Satellite image of the Grand Prismatic Spring. The hot spring is vibrant with light and dark shades of color.

Question 4 Clue:

The "Grand Prismatic Spring" is the largest hot spring in the United States. It received its name due to its remarkable colors and is located in a national park known for its geysers. Name the national park.

Satellite image courtesy of GeoEye

Yellowstone

Satellite image of a mountainous island in the South Pacific.

Question 5 Clue:

Captain James Cook and his crew traveled to this island to view the astronomical phenomenon of Venus transiting the Sun in 1768. The island rests in the South Pacific and is part of French Polynesia. Formed by erupting volcanoes, it is now surrounded by coral reefs. The artist Paul Gauguin once lived here. Name the island.

Landsat image courtesy of USGS

Tahiti

Satellite image of a lake in North Africa surrounded by the countries Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger.

Question 6 Clue:

Located in north-central Africa, this shallow lake (center) is an important water source for the four countries that surround it. In recent decades, its size has fluctuated dramatically. During dry periods, it resembles a wetland. Its name is the same as one of the countries on this image. Name the lake.

Terra-MODIS image courtesy of NASA/GSFC

Lake Chad

Satellite image of an inland sea. Italy and Greece are to the southwest. Turkey is to the south. Ukraine and Russia are to the north. The Danube River and the Bosphorus Strait are also connected to the sea.

Question 7 Clue:

Massive blooms of microscopic organisms called phytoplankton color the waters of this inland sea a light blue. The Danube is one of many rivers that flow into it. It is also connected to the Mediterranean Sea by the Bosporus Strait. Name the sea.

Aqua-MODIS image courtesy of NASA/GSFC

Black Sea

A blue arrow points to a satellite image of a city along the Chang Jiang River.

Question 8 Clue:

More populous than Beijing, this city (blue arrow) lies on the east coast of China near the mouth of the Chang Jiang River (sometimes called the Yangtze). Name the city.

Astronaut Photograph courtesy of ISS Crew Earth Observations Experiment and the NASA/JSC Image Science & Analysis Laboratory

Shanghai

This quiz was originally published in 2012.