The three islands of Indonesia's Komodo National Park— Komodo, Padar and Rinca—seen from space.
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DOWN TO EARTH: Indonesia's dragon island, seen from space
4 Jun 2009
Established in 1980, Indonesia's Komodo National Park includes three large and many small islands in Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Islands. Initially planned to protect the Komodo dragon species, the park's aims expanded to encompass protection of the area's terrestrial and marine habitats in the context of a rapidly growing human population. In 1986, the park became a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this image of the park. The image approximates true colour—blue indicates water, grey-beige indicates bare ground, and bright green indicates vegetation.
The three largest islands in Komodo National Park are (from west to east) Komodo, Padar and Rinca. Together with smaller islands, the park's land area totals roughly 600 square kilometres.
The islands are volcanic in origin—the underlying juncture of the Sahul and Sunda continental plates has caused volcanic eruptions and uplift of coral reefs. The terrain is rugged and hilly, and what little flat land exists in Komodo occurs primarily along the shorelines. Affected by monsoonal rains, the island group sees little or no rainfall for roughly eight months out of every year.
< An artist's impression of the Terra satellite.
Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis), for which the park was initially established, are the world's largest living species of lizard. (Besides Komodo National Park, some Komodo dragons also live on the neighbouring islands of Flores, where the big lizards once co-habitated with small people.)
On average, adult Komodos weigh 70 kilograms. Gifted with keen eyesight, strong jaws, steak-knife teeth, and toxic saliva, they are formidable hunters. Komodos can sprint up to 20 kilometres per hour, but they generally rely on stealth more than speed.
Adapted from information issued by NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of NASA / GSFC / METI / ERSDAC / JAROS, and US/Japan ASTER Science Team. Caption adapted from information issued by Michon Scott..
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