Images
October 13, 2024 - The Congo River and Tributaries
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On October 11, 2024, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the Congo River and several of its tributaries.
The Congo River is the second longest river in Africa—second only to the Nile River. It is also the world’s deepest river on record, with depths measured more than 200 meters (722 feet). Remarkably, the Congo River is the only major river to cross the equator twice. The Congo River, along with the Ubangi River (one of its tributaries) forms the border between the Republic of the Congo (west) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (east).
Several of the tributaries of the Congo River are identifiable in this image. The Congo River, itself, is a wide, mud-colored, braided river that flows directly from the northeast (upper right) to the southwest (lower left). The Ubangi (also known as the Oubangui) takes on a similar mud-colored tone and is the largest tributary flowing into the Congo. In this image, it is the first river that joins the Congo on its western side (near the top of the image). A thinner and winding river filled with light tan sediment is the Sangha River, a river that provides a home to more than 150 species of fish. A third interesting tributary is the Ruki River, one of the darkest blackwater rivers on Earth. At the very top of the image, the Ruki can be seen flowing from the southeast to join the Congo River. The dark color of the water comes from a high level of rich organic matter that the Ruki picks up as it flows through peatlands.
The northernmost lake seen in this image is Lake Tumba. It is part of the world’s largest swamp forest and the second-largest wetland area, according to the World Wildlife Fund. This region, spanning about 126,440 square kilometers (48,820 square miles), consists of marshes, seasonally flooded forests, and meadows. The elongated Lake Mai-Ndombe sits south of Lake Tumba. This long, shallow freshwater lake spans about 2,300 square kilometers (890 square miles) in the dry season, but during the rainy season the lake floods. Seasonal flooding can cause Lake Mai-Ndombe to triple its dry-season size.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 10/11/2024
Resolutions:
1km (67.4 KB), 500m (173.5 KB), 250m (345.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On October 11, 2024, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the Congo River and several of its tributaries.
The Congo River is the second longest river in Africa—second only to the Nile River. It is also the world’s deepest river on record, with depths measured more than 200 meters (722 feet). Remarkably, the Congo River is the only major river to cross the equator twice. The Congo River, along with the Ubangi River (one of its tributaries) forms the border between the Republic of the Congo (west) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (east).
Several of the tributaries of the Congo River are identifiable in this image. The Congo River, itself, is a wide, mud-colored, braided river that flows directly from the northeast (upper right) to the southwest (lower left). The Ubangi (also known as the Oubangui) takes on a similar mud-colored tone and is the largest tributary flowing into the Congo. In this image, it is the first river that joins the Congo on its western side (near the top of the image). A thinner and winding river filled with light tan sediment is the Sangha River, a river that provides a home to more than 150 species of fish. A third interesting tributary is the Ruki River, one of the darkest blackwater rivers on Earth. At the very top of the image, the Ruki can be seen flowing from the southeast to join the Congo River. The dark color of the water comes from a high level of rich organic matter that the Ruki picks up as it flows through peatlands.
The northernmost lake seen in this image is Lake Tumba. It is part of the world’s largest swamp forest and the second-largest wetland area, according to the World Wildlife Fund. This region, spanning about 126,440 square kilometers (48,820 square miles), consists of marshes, seasonally flooded forests, and meadows. The elongated Lake Mai-Ndombe sits south of Lake Tumba. This long, shallow freshwater lake spans about 2,300 square kilometers (890 square miles) in the dry season, but during the rainy season the lake floods. Seasonal flooding can cause Lake Mai-Ndombe to triple its dry-season size.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 10/11/2024
Resolutions:
1km (67.4 KB), 500m (173.5 KB), 250m (345.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
