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November 25, 2024 - Flood Season in the Inner Niger Delta
November 11, 2024
May 27, 2024
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On November 11, 2024, the floodplains of the Inner Niger Delta were flush with dense green vegetation, thanks to a robust rainy season. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the annual flooding of the Inner Niger Delta on November 11. To illustrate the amazing impact that the rainy season has on this otherwise dry region, the first image is paired with a second true-color image of the same area acquired by Aqua MODIS on May 27, 2024, at the end of the dry season. Toggle between the two images simply by clicking on the dates.
The Niger River rises in the Fouta Djallon highlands of Guinea in Western Africa and courses inland through parched, landlocked Mali along the edge of the Sahara Desert before ultimately winding to spill into the Gulf of Guinea. In the semi-arid lands of Mali, however, near where the river Bani joins the Niger, the rivers spread out to feed a region of lakes, creeks, and marshlands which make up the Inner Niger Delta.
The rainy season brings soaking storms in the Fouta Djallon highlands from May through September each year, filling the headwaters of the Niger and some of its tributaries. The heavy rain—almost all falling far from central Mali—creates a formidable flood surge that typically begins to reach the Inner Niger Delta during October. The water slowly spreads out across the lowlands of the Delta and flooding usually reaches it furthest extent by December.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 11/11/2024
Resolutions:
1km (96.9 KB), 500m (264 KB), 250m (487.8 KB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
November 11, 2024 May 27, 2024
On November 11, 2024, the floodplains of the Inner Niger Delta were flush with dense green vegetation, thanks to a robust rainy season. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the annual flooding of the Inner Niger Delta on November 11. To illustrate the amazing impact that the rainy season has on this otherwise dry region, the first image is paired with a second true-color image of the same area acquired by Aqua MODIS on May 27, 2024, at the end of the dry season. Toggle between the two images simply by clicking on the dates.
The Niger River rises in the Fouta Djallon highlands of Guinea in Western Africa and courses inland through parched, landlocked Mali along the edge of the Sahara Desert before ultimately winding to spill into the Gulf of Guinea. In the semi-arid lands of Mali, however, near where the river Bani joins the Niger, the rivers spread out to feed a region of lakes, creeks, and marshlands which make up the Inner Niger Delta.
The rainy season brings soaking storms in the Fouta Djallon highlands from May through September each year, filling the headwaters of the Niger and some of its tributaries. The heavy rain—almost all falling far from central Mali—creates a formidable flood surge that typically begins to reach the Inner Niger Delta during October. The water slowly spreads out across the lowlands of the Delta and flooding usually reaches it furthest extent by December.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 11/11/2024
Resolutions:
1km (96.9 KB), 500m (264 KB), 250m (487.8 KB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
