This page is devoted to a closer look at the mystery feature, now shown in glorious living technicolor.

Areas that may support more actively growing grass (as at v), have a definite red-orange tone. The vegetation within the coastal marsh (o) takes on a distinctive orange undertone, implying that some of the plants have a reddish coloration (remember, orange can result from a higher input of green-filtered light [assigned to the red band in making the composite] ). The mystery area s next to the marsh, and shown enlarged below, has a bright red expression alluding to the presence of highly IR-reflective vegetation such as might be found where grasses are luxurious (if you haven't guessed this feature's identity yet, this might be a decisive clue).

We show another ground photo which includes the mystery feature. Look at this:

In the foreground are homes in Los Osos that are on a curved strip of land that juts into the south end of Morro Bay. The marshlands can be seen in center right on the bay. To the left is a large cluster of trees that are the main part of Morro Bay State Park. The mystery feature is the thin green strip behind the trees. One of the rounded hills made of volcanic rocks like Morro Rock itself is beyond and in a gap one can see many miles to the high tree-covered mountains of the Coast Ranges.

Primary Author: Nicholas M. Short, Sr. email: nmshort@ptd.net