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Turkey Point A The Everglades and Miami, Florida, USA story

Agriculture  / 
Cities  / 
Mining  / 
Water  / 
Wetlands
  1. Earthshots
  2. The Everglades and Miami, Florida, USA
  3. Turkey Point
Description

There is a notable shape southeast of Homestead on the coast of the Bay of Biscayne. The top right corner of this shape is the location of the Turkey Point Nuclear Plant. In operation since 1972, the plant generates enough power for 900,000 homes annually.

The rest of the large area is the plant’s system of cooling canals. Water in this closed loop of canals is used to keep equipment in the plant cool. The water passes through the plant to remove excess heat then goes back into the canal system. The water cools as it travels through the canals.

Landsat’s thermal infrared imaging capability reveals the temperature of the water in this system. The brighter red in that image indicates warmer water. The water becomes cooler away from the plant and coolest on the right side nearest the plant where the water reenters the plant.

Other warmer surfaces appear in a red hue as well, such as highways, airport runways, and other less vegetated surfaces of Homestead.

View Related Imagery & Stories

Location

Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) —Turkey Point Nuclear Plant, Florida, USA

Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) —Turkey Point Nuclear Plant, Florida, USA

Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) —Turkey Point Nuclear Plant, using Landsat 8’s thermal infrared imaging, Florida, USA

Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) —Turkey Point Nuclear Plant, using Landsat 8’s thermal infrared imaging, Florida, USA

Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) —Turkey Point Nuclear Plant, Florida, USA
Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) —Turkey Point Nuclear Plant, using Landsat 8’s thermal infrared imaging, Florida, USA

The Everglades and Miami, Florida, USA Additional Imagery & Stories

Agriculture
Agriculture

The fertile muck soils along the south shore of Lake Okeechobee in the Everglades Agricultural Area are intensively farmed. Tomatoes, beans, squash, p...

Read More
Canals and Levees
Canals and Levees

Historically, water flowed slowly southward through the Everglades in a wide swath. Record floods in 1947 and 1948 led to the construction of a massiv...

Read More
Limestone Mining
Limestone Mining

The Everglades sit on top of a bedrock of limestone. Limestone quarries, the dark rectangular shapes just west of the urban areas, provide about half ...

Read More
Residential Lakes
Residential Lakes

A lot of the urban area consists of large planned communities, often for retirees. Many of these communities incorporate artificial residential lakes....

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Tree Islands
Tree Islands

A unique feature of the Everglades is the dark green teardrop-shaped forms scattered throughout the region. Referred to as hummocks, or “tree islands,...

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Urban Development
Urban Development

In 1900, southeastern Florida included a few small towns with a population of 3,592 people. Throughout the 20th century, Miami and other nearby towns ...

Read More
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