Images
July 27, 2024 - Summer in Switzerland
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Sunshine highlighted a lovely Swiss summer day on July 18, 2024, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the region.
Snow remains atop the high peaks of the Alps, which are shared both by Switzerland (north) and Italy (south) in this section of the mountains. While the air appears crystal clear in the Alps and to their north and west, a haze hangs over Italy’s Po Valley in the southeast.
Northwest of the Alps lies the Swiss Plateau, also called “Mittelland” (middle country). This densely populated and heavily farmed region stretches from the crescent-shaped Lake Geneva to Lake Constance, which lies under cloud in the upper right corner of the image. The folded ridges in the northwest section of the image (upper left) are the Jura Mountains, which are divided between Switzerland and France. The border of those two countries also runs nearly the length of Lake Geneva, with the southern portion of the lake belonging to France.
The city of Geneva, Switzerland, embraces the western edge of Lake Geneva. The Rhône River flows out of the lake and passes through the city of Geneva on its 505 mile- (813 kilometer)-long journey to the Mediterranean Sea. North of Lake Geneva is Lake Neuchatel. Lake Geneva is the largest Alpine lake in Europe, while Lake Neuchatel is the largest lake located entirely within Switzerland.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 7/18/2024
Resolutions:
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Sunshine highlighted a lovely Swiss summer day on July 18, 2024, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the region.
Snow remains atop the high peaks of the Alps, which are shared both by Switzerland (north) and Italy (south) in this section of the mountains. While the air appears crystal clear in the Alps and to their north and west, a haze hangs over Italy’s Po Valley in the southeast.
Northwest of the Alps lies the Swiss Plateau, also called “Mittelland” (middle country). This densely populated and heavily farmed region stretches from the crescent-shaped Lake Geneva to Lake Constance, which lies under cloud in the upper right corner of the image. The folded ridges in the northwest section of the image (upper left) are the Jura Mountains, which are divided between Switzerland and France. The border of those two countries also runs nearly the length of Lake Geneva, with the southern portion of the lake belonging to France.
The city of Geneva, Switzerland, embraces the western edge of Lake Geneva. The Rhône River flows out of the lake and passes through the city of Geneva on its 505 mile- (813 kilometer)-long journey to the Mediterranean Sea. North of Lake Geneva is Lake Neuchatel. Lake Geneva is the largest Alpine lake in Europe, while Lake Neuchatel is the largest lake located entirely within Switzerland.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 7/18/2024
Resolutions:
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
