Tucson

Position of center of photo (Lat/Long): [32.21912/-110.91453]

The rectangular grid pattern disappears in the small streets of the original city center, situated along the Santa Cruz River (enters the view at lower left and exits in the top left corner). Moist air from Mexico and the Gulf of California frequently travels northwards along the Santa Cruz River corridor during the summer months. This moisture results in "monsoon" thunderstorms that help recharge the aquifers providing the majority of Tucson’s water.

Newer and less densely built-up neighborhoods in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains are designed to incorporate natural landscape features, and retain major washes with natural vegetation. This portion of the cityscape seen from space is consequently quite different from the main city grid. The foothills afford views of the city to the south and the mountains to the north and are major areas of development. Large white dots within the urban grid are the reflective rooftops of shopping malls.

Tucson enjoys an important position along several major crossroads. Interstate highway I-10, which connects southern California to Florida, appears as a straight line running parallel with the Santa Cruz River northwest from Tucson in the direction of Phoenix. I-10 traverses a well-marked alluvial fan that extends from the Santa Rita Mountains to the southeast (fine drainage pattern lower center of the view) and exits the view at lower right. Highway I-19 is the straight line (lower left) leading south from the city center, between the Santa Cruz River and rectangular spoil heaps of nearby copper mines. I-19 connects Tucson with Nogales on the Mexican border.