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May 28, 2019 - Lakes in Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Located in Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo may be best known for dense rainforest, the deep Congo River, and large biodiversity including big cats, birds, and primates. Perhaps lesser known, but also important, are the more than seventy lakes that sit within or partially within the country boundaries.
On May 24, 2019, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of several of the lakes of southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including Lake Kinsale, Lake Upemba, and in the east, Lake Mweru.
The lakes in the west of this image sit in the Upemba Depression, a large marshy area that includes roughly 50 lakes. Lake Upemba is the largest seen, with a surface area of 530 square kilometers (204.6 sq. feet) and sits south of Lake Kinsale. Kinsale, at 300 square km (116 sq. feet). These lakes are known for a number of floating islands made of papyrus and other vegetation. In the rainy season, this depression may become one enormous marsh. Lake Mweru sits outside the Upemba Depression but along the border with Zambia.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 5/24/2019
Resolutions:
1km (162.8 KB), 500m (452.7 KB), 250m (774.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Located in Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo may be best known for dense rainforest, the deep Congo River, and large biodiversity including big cats, birds, and primates. Perhaps lesser known, but also important, are the more than seventy lakes that sit within or partially within the country boundaries.
On May 24, 2019, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of several of the lakes of southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including Lake Kinsale, Lake Upemba, and in the east, Lake Mweru.
The lakes in the west of this image sit in the Upemba Depression, a large marshy area that includes roughly 50 lakes. Lake Upemba is the largest seen, with a surface area of 530 square kilometers (204.6 sq. feet) and sits south of Lake Kinsale. Kinsale, at 300 square km (116 sq. feet). These lakes are known for a number of floating islands made of papyrus and other vegetation. In the rainy season, this depression may become one enormous marsh. Lake Mweru sits outside the Upemba Depression but along the border with Zambia.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 5/24/2019
Resolutions:
1km (162.8 KB), 500m (452.7 KB), 250m (774.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
