File:Queensland, Australia (MODIS 2017-09-28).jpg

English: On September 24, 2017, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of a sunny spring day in Queensland, Australia.

Lying in the northeast section of Australia, Queensland is sometimes referred to as the “Sunshine State” for its warm climate and abundance of days with cloud-free skies. Although parts of the northernmost section of the state enjoys a monsoonal climate and even a smattering of rain forest, most of the coast is warm and tropical while inland ranges from hot semi-arid to hot arid climates. The smattering of green vegetation along the coast and predominance of tan and brown inland illustrates the difference in rainfall.

This image centers on the Great Dividing Range, a complex of mountain ranges, uplands, and plateaus that rise abruptly from the lowlands of the eastern coast. The white marks in arid highlands are two salt lakes. The northern one is Lake Buchanan and the southern is Lake Galilee. Each lake provides unique habitat for unusual species, such as Buchanan’s fairy shrimp. Lake Galilee has been recognized by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) due to its importance to migrating birds and large populations of birds such as Pacific Black Duck and Pink-eared Duck. The eastern coast lies along the Coral Sea where the Great Barrier Reef can be seen under a smattering of small cloud.