Details

The topography of Tutuila, largest of the islands of American Samoa, is distinctively shown in this color-coded perspective view generated with digital elevation data from the space. Two visualization methods were combined to produce the image: shading and color coding of topographic height. The total area of Tutuila is about 142 sq km (55 sq mi), slightly larger than San Francisco. The large bay near the center in this view is Pago Pago Harbor, actually a submerged volcanic crater whose south wall collapsed millions of years ago. Adjacent to the harbor is Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa, and to the left (west) of the harbor in this view is Matafao Peak, Tutuila’s highest point at 653 m (2,142 ft). The small island to the east is Aunu’u. Topography is exaggerated by a factor of two. Image courtesy of NASA/JPL/NGA.