Aerial Photography of Southern California
Salton Sea Region
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To view an unlabeled photo click here, or go to http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov .
The Salton Sea is the largest lake (360 square miles) in California. The Sea occupies the deepest portion of the Salton Trough, and it was formed in 1905 when an accident diverted water from the Colorado River via a canal. Although irrigation water from the Imperial and Coachella valleys continues to flow into the Salton Sea, stabilizing its level at about 228 feet below sea level, its ultimate fate will be to shrink when water is diverted from farms in 2017 to urban areas. This reduction in lake level and size will cause hardships to wildlife and people in the area. Click here to view proposals for coping with the upcoming changes for the Salton Sea. Major attractions in the region include Joshua Tree National Park, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Algodones Dunes, Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, and the Orocopia Mountains Wilderness area. The main cities are Indio, in the southern Coachella Valley, and Brawley and El Centro in the Imperial Valley.
The Salton Trough is of great geological interest because has formed due to tectonic lowering of the crust due to spreading along the northernmost extension of the East Pacific Rise, a divergent plate boundary. The deepest parts of the trough are over 250 feet below sea level, and fossil evidence from rocks in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park indicate the the Pacific Ocean flooded this area in the past. Growth of the Colorado River delta has, for now, isolated the trough from the ocean water in the Gulf of California to the south. Spreading along the East Pacific Rise has allowed magma to rise upward toward the surface, resulting in the formation of several young volcanoes along the south shore of Salton Sea, and geothermal energy production in the same vicinity.
To view aerial photographs of the Salton Sea region, click on areas of interest in the photograph above, or scroll down this page and click on thumbnail images. It will take from a few seconds to minutes to open one of the large image files, but these show fine details and make excellent prints up to 36 inches across.
Borrego Valley, Anza-Borrego State Park, Borrego Badlands, and southern Santa Rosa Mountains aerial photographs
1 
Borrego Valley and Borrego Springs community
(Click here
to view large file.)
2 
Borrego Springs area (Click here
to view large file.)
3 
Borrego Valley irrigation (Click here
to view large file.)
4 
Borrego Springs Golf Course (Click here
to view large file.)
5 
closer view of Borrego Springs Golf Course, and debris dams along dry stream
beds (Click here
to view large file.)
6 
Borrego Springs and northern part of Anza-Borrego State
Park (Click here
to view large file.)
7 
Borrego Springs and Anza-Borrego State Park; distant
view (Click here
to view large file.)
8 
Borrego Badlands with dry stream channels and tilted sedimentary
strata (Click here
to view large file.)
9 
Borrego Badlands dendritic stream drainage (Click here
to view large file.)
10 
Borrego Badlands dendritic stream drainage; closer
view (Click here
to view large file.)
11 
Borrego Badlands dendritic drainage (Click here
to view large file.)
12 
Borrego Badlands dendritic drainage (Click here
to view large file.)
13 
Borrego Badlands, tilted strata, and meandering stream
wash (Click here
to view large file.)
14 
Borrego Badlands meandering stream washes (Click here
to view large file.)
15 
Borrego Badlands eroded lake and stream deposits
(Click here
to view large file.)
16 
Borrego Badlands and Valley; view to south
(Click here
to view large file.)
17 
Borrego Badlands and Pinyon Ridge (Click here
to view large file.)
18 
stream channel in Borrego Badlands (Click here
to view large file.)
19 
stream-channel meander loop in Borrego Badlands
(Click here
to view large file.)
20 ct05S.jpg)
geologic complexity of Borrego Badlands (Click here
to view large file.)
21 
Borrego Badlands stream erosion in soft rock
(Click here
to view large file.)
22 
Borrego Badlands dry stream channels (Click here
to view large file.)
23 
lower Borrego Valley stream channels and road
(Click here
to view large file.)
24 
dendritic stream drainage and road, lower Borrego
Valley (Click here
to view large file.)
25 
lower Borrego Valley and Pinyon Ridge in distance; view to the
northwest (Click here
to view large file.)
26 
lower Borrego Valley, dendritic stream drainage pattern, and Pinyon
Ridge (Click here
to view large file.)
27 
Clark Valley and Santa Rosa Mountains in Anza-Borrego State
Park (Click here
to view large file.)
28 
Santa Rosa Mountains alluvial fan, and Salton Sea to the
east (Click here
to view large file.)
29 
faulted alluvial fan in southern Santa Rosa
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
30 
Clarke Valley, Highway S22, and Santa Rosa
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
31 
Clarke Valley dry stream channels (Click here
to view large file.)
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Salton Sea and vicinity aerial photographs
1 
southern Salton Sea and San Felipe Creek Delta; view to the
south (Click here
to view large file.)
2 
Salton Sea and salt ponds (Click here
to view large file.)
3 
southern Salton Sea, Highway 86, and view southward into Imperial Valley
agricultural region (Click here
to view large file.)
4 
San Felipe Creek and Delta, and southern Salton
Sea (Click here
to view large file.)
5 
New River Delta at southern end of Salton Sea, with Imperial Valley to
south (Click here
to view large file.)
6 
Obsidian Butte, geothermal power generating plant, southern Salton
Sea (Click here
to view large file.)
7 
close view of Obsidian Butte, southern Salton Sea
(Click here
to view large file.)
8 
southern Salton Sea shore, with Alamo River Delta and Red Hill
Marina (Click here
to view large file.)
9 
close view of Alamo River Delta and Red Hill
Marina (Click here
to view large file.)
10 
eastern shore of Salton Sea, and Chocolate Mountains in
background (Click here
to view large file.)
11 
Bombay Beach, Highway 111, and Salton Sea (Click here
to view large file.)
12 
Bombay Beach, Highway 111, Chocolate Mountains, and Salton
Sea (Click here
to view large file.)
13 
Salton Sea, Bombay Beach, and Highway 111 (Click here
to view large file.)
14 
eastern shore of Salton Sea, and Orocopia
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
15 
Mortmar Desert Beach, east shore of Salton Sea
(Click here
to view large file.)
16 
Mortmar Desert Beach, small-boat harbor, Salton
Sea (Click here
to view large file.)
17 
Mortmar small-boat harbor (Click here
to view large file.)
18 
north shore of Salton Sea, Mortmar small-boat harbor, Orocopia Mountains, and
Highway 111 (Click here
to view large file.)
19 
Salton Sea State Recreation Area headquarters, and Coachella
Canal (Click here
to view large file.)
20 
Salton Sea State Recreation Area headquarters and small-boat harbor with algal
bloom (Click here
to view large file.)
21 
Desert Shores, Rancho Marina, and Santa Rosa
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
22 
Closer view of Desert Shores, Rancho Marina and Highway
86 (Click here
to view large file.)
23 
north shore of Salton Sea and Whitewater River
Delta (Click here
to view large file.)
24 
Salton Sea, Whitewater River Delta, Coachella Valley agriculture, and Sant Rosa
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
25 
Coachella Valley agriculture, Salton Sea, and Santa Rosa
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
26 
Whitewater River Delta and Salton Sea (Click here
to view large file.)
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Southern Coachella Valley (Indio, Mecca Hills, and surrounding mountains) aerial photographs
1 
Mecca Hills and Coachella Canal (Click here
to view large file.)
2 
holding ponds, southern Coachella Valley (Click here
to view large file.)
3 
Mecca Hills alluvial fan, Box Canyon Road, southern Coachella
Valley (Click here
to view large file.)
4 
view to east of Box Canyon Road, Mecca Hills alluvial fan, and Coachella
Canal (Click here
to view large file.)
5 
Coachella Canal and agriculture, Mecca Hills, and Cottonwood
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
6 
Coachella Valley agriculture and canal, Mecca Hills, and Eagle
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
7 
Mecca Hills, Box Canyon Road, and Eagle Mountains
(Click here
to view large file.)
8 
Box Canyon alluvial fan and Mecca Hills (Click here
to view large file.)
9 
Caochella Canal and Coachella Valley agriculture
(Click here
to view large file.)
10 
Coachella Valley agriculture and canal, Mecca Hills, and Orocopia
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
11
north shore of Salton Sea and Whitewater River
Delta (Click here
to view large file.)
12
Salton Sea, Whitewater River Delta, Coachella Valley agriculture, and Sant Rosa
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
13
Coachella Valley agriculture, Salton Sea, and Santa Rosa
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
14 
view west of Coachella Valley, Highway 111, and Santa Rosa
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
15
Whitewater River Delta and Salton Sea (Click here
to view large file.)
16 
Coachella Valley, Highway 111, and Thermal Airport
(Click here
to view large file.)
17 
Coachella Valley, Highway 111, and Mt San Jacinto
(Click here
to view large file.)
18 
Coachella Valley and Canal, and Mecca Hills (Click here
to view large file.)
19 
Indio, Interstate 10, Dillon Road, and Little San Bernardino
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
20 
Coachella Valley, Highway 111, and Mecca Hills
(Click here
to view large file.)
21 
Coachella Valley, Mecca Hills, and Orocopia
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
22 
Indio and Little San Bernardino Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
23 
Coachella Valley, Interstate 10, and Indio Hills
(Click here
to view large file.)
24 
Indio, Indio Hills, Sky Valley, and Little San Bernardino
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
25 
Berdoo Canyon alluvial fan emerging from Little San Bernardino
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
26 
Berdoo Canyon, Highway 111, Interstate 10, and
Indio (Click
here to view large file.)
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Northern Coachella Valley (Thousand Palms, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Desert Hot Springs) aerial photographs
1 
Coachella Valley, Indio Hills, and Sky Valley
(Click here
to view large file.)
2 
Thousand Palms oasis, Sky Valley, and Little San Bernardino
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
3 
Thousand Palms oasis and San Andreas Fault (Click here
to view large file.)
4 
Coachella Valley, Indio Hills, Sky Valley, and Interstate
10 (Click here
to view large file.)
5 
close view of Thousand Palms oasis, with San Andreas Fault from upper left to
lower right (Click here
to view large file.)
6 
Coachella Valley, Indio Hills, Sky Valley, and Little San Bernardino
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
7 
Indio Hills, Sky Valley, and Desert Hot Springs
(Click here
to view large file.)
8 
Thousand Palms oasis and San Andreas Fault (Click here
to view large file.)
9 
Thousand Palms and oasis, and San Andreas Fault
(Click here
to view large file.)
10 
Coachella Valley, Interstate 10, and Indio Hills
(Click here
to view large file.)
11 
San Andreas Fault cutting across Indio Hills, and Sky
Valley (Click here
to view large file.)
12 
Coachella Valley, Interstate 10, and Salton Sea; view to the
southeast (Click here
to view large file.)
13 
Palm Desert and Santa Rosa Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
14 
Palm Desert, Indio Mountain, and La Quinta (Click here
to view large file.)
15 
Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, and Palm Canyon (Click
here
to view large file.)
16 
Palm Desert and Highway 74; view to the southwest
(Click here
to view large file.)
17 
Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, and Santa Rosa
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
18 
Cathedral City, Palm Springs, Whitewater River, and Mt San Jacinto
(Click here
to view large file.)
19 
Palm Springs and Mt San Jacinto (Click here
to view large file.)
20 
Cathedral City, Palm Springs, and Mt San Jacinto
(Click here
to view large file.)
21 
Palm Springs, Whitewater River wash, and Mt San Jacinto
(Click here
to view large file.)
22 
Mt San Jacinto and Palm Springs (Click here
to view large file.)
23 
Palm Springs, Interstate 10, and Mt San Gorgonio
(Click here
to view large file.)
24 
northern end of Coachella Valley, Whitewater River, and Mt San Gorgonio
(Click here
to view large file.)
25 
Palm Springs, Interstate 10, Desert Hot Springs, and Mt San Gorgonio
(Click here
to view large file.)
26 
Thousand Palms oasis, alluvial fan, and Little San Bernardino
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
27 
Sky Valley, Little San Bernardino Mountains, and Joshua Tree National
Park (Click here
to view large file.)
28 
Palm Drive to Desert Hot Springs, and view into Morongo
Valley (Click here
to view large file.)
29 
Edom Hill, Sky Valley, San Andreas Fault, and Little San Bernardino
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
30 
Interstate 10, North Palm Springs, and Mission
Creek (Click here
to view large file.)
31 
Desert Dunes Golf Course, Desert Hot Springs
(Click here
to view large file.)
32 
Desert Hot Springs, Edom Hill, San Andreas Fault, and Interstate
10 (Click here
to view large file.)
33 
view to southeast of Coachella Valley, with San Andreas Fault from lower left to
upper right (Click here
to view large file.)
34 
Palm Springs Airport, Whitewater River wash, and Santa Rosa Mountains in
distance (Click here
to view large file.)
35 
San Andreas Fault, Varner Avenue, and Mountain View
Road (Click here
to view large file.)
36 
Palm Springs, Palm Canyon, and Mt San Jacinto
(Click here
to view large file.)
37 
Chino Canyon, Tramway Road, and Mt San Jacinto
(Click here
to view large file.)
38 
Palm Springs, Chino Canyon, and Mt San Jacinto
(Click here
to view large file.)
39 
San Gorgonio Pass, Whitewater River, wind farm, and northern flank of Mt San
Jacinto (Click here
to view large file.)
40 
Mt San Jacinto and Chino Canyon; view from east
(Click here
to view large file.)
41 
Mt San Gorgonio, San Gorgonio Pass, wind farm, Interstate 10, and Whitewater
River (Click here
to view large file.)
42 
Mission Creek, Highway 62, Morongo Valley, and Mt
Grinnell (Click here
to view large file.)
43 
Whitewater River, Mission Creek, and San Bernardino
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
44 
Painted Hills wind farm (Click here
to view large file.)
45 
Painted Hills wind farm, Highway 62, and Interstate
10 (Click here
to view large file.)
46 
North Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, San Andreas Fault, and Interstate
10 (Click here
to view large file.)
47 
Whitewater River percolation basins, Palm Springs, and Santa Rosa
Mountains (Click here
to view large file.)
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