Dr. Shirley's Web Courses
NASA Mirror Pages
These Pages are provided primarily for students at ENMU (Eastern New Mexico University) who are enrolled in the Course REL 433 - Biblical Archaeology, given by Dr. Shirley Rollinson. They may also be used as general resource material for students taking other courses on Old or New Testament subjects, or for anyone else interested in studying the Bible.
Some of my students have had difficulty accessing the photos on the NASA site, so these pages are provided as an alternative.
The Persian Gulf
STS036-074-075 Wetlands of the Middle East - Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait, March 1990
The northern end of the Persian Gulf provides a sharp contrast to the arid-looking wetlands of northeast Kuwait (Bubiyan Island), the narrow corridor of Iraq, and the west-southwest marshes of Iran.
The delta of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers has suffered substantial environmental changes because of drainage, pollution, and urban and industrial development. Water normally supplied to the region has been diverted for irrigation and domestic and industrial consumption; wetlands have been drained for agriculture and industrial purposes; and the construction of dams has decreased the amount of fresh water from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, resulting in small quantities of silt being deposited in the delta of these once mighty rivers.
The boundaries for Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran are not easily distinguishable in this photograph. The large dark area in Iran appears to be a freshwater marsh. Because natural materials are used for construction, the few towns and villages within the delta area tend to blend with the natural environment.
