Rhone River Valley & Lower Lake Geneva, Switzerland as seen from STS-60

STS060-90-007 (3-11 Feb 1994) --- Parts of the Swiss Cantons of Vaud and Valois and the French province of Chablais are shown. These mountains were created in the last great mountain-building episode in Europe around 50 million years ago. They have been reshaped by glaciers during the Pleistocene. The glaciers created the wide valley of the Rhone River by scouring a pre-existing stream. The fertile Swiss Plateau runs northwest from the shore of Lake Geneva and is visible in the upper right. The Franco-Swiss border is located in the center of the lake and follows a mountain divide east of the Rhone Valley. According to NASA geologists eutrofication is a problem in Lake Geneva. In 1971 a Swiss Commission was formed to try to slow the problem. Strong discharge laws were enacted, but they are hard to enforce due to the multi-national and multi-organizational parties contributing to the problem.

johnson space center rhone river valley rhone river valley lake geneva lake geneva switzerland sts high resolution problem rhone valley rhone river mountains glaciers swiss cantons swiss plateau swiss commission nasa geologists eutrofication strong discharge laws french province million years franco swiss border nasa

09/02/1994

NASA

https://images.nasa.gov/

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