Satellite image of part of the Great Dyke volcanic intrusion (down centre) in Zimbabwe. This intrusion is thought to be about billion years old,

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Satellite image of part of the Great Dyke volcanic intrusion (down centre) in Zimbabwe. This intrusion is thought to be about billion years old, and was created when molten lava filled and widened a fracture in the Earth's crust. It is over 500 kilometres long and has an average width of 10 kilometres. The area is rich in minerals, including platinum, chromium and gold. Image obtained by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite.

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Size: 2593px × 4110px
Photo credit: © NASA/GSFC/METI/Japan Space Systems/U.S.,Japan ASTER Science Team/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, 21st, 29, 2000, advanced, africa, african, aster, august, century, colour, craton, earth, emission, eroded, erosion, formation, geographical, geography, geological, geology, igneous, image, intrusion, intrusive, lopolith, magma, natural, observation, radiometer, reflection, rock, satellite, space, spaceborne, system, terra, thermal, volcanic, zimbabwe