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January 5, 2025 - Summertime in the Rio de la Plata
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Striking summer colors surrounded the sediment-filled water of the Río de la Plata on January 2, 2025, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the region.
The Río de la Plata is a funnel-shaped estuary on the eastern coast of South America, situated between Uruguay in the north and Argentina in the south. The Paraná and Uruguay Rivers flow into the estuary at its narrowest end. Together, the rivers capture sediment and fresh water from about 1.2 million square miles (3.2 million square kilometers), or about 20 percent of the entire continent. In this image, the Uruguay River can be seen carrying dark sediment from the north while the Paraná spreads into several branches as it winds through dark green wetlands. Both rivers appear swollen and exceptionally sediment-laden, most likely the result of flooding that occurred in northern Argentina in mid-December 2024.
A large group of gray pixels on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata marks the human-made structures of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This city is the capital and largest city of Argentina, spanning an area of about 1,500 square miles (3,885 square kilometers) and providing a home to more than 17.5 million people.
The countryside surrounding the Río de la Plata glows gold in the springtime sunshine. Most of the region is filled with agricultural fields and pastureland. Argentina is a major producer of wheat, corn, and soybeans. Most wheat is harvested in November through January, with mature wheatfields colored in glorious gold and tan. Soybeans are planted during this same period, with freshly planted fields often taking on a brown tint typical of soil. Green patches may be areas growing agricultural crops, such as corn or barley, or fallow fields, or patches of forest.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 1/2/2025
Resolutions:
1km (111 KB), 500m (299.2 KB), 250m (565.9 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Striking summer colors surrounded the sediment-filled water of the Río de la Plata on January 2, 2025, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the region.
The Río de la Plata is a funnel-shaped estuary on the eastern coast of South America, situated between Uruguay in the north and Argentina in the south. The Paraná and Uruguay Rivers flow into the estuary at its narrowest end. Together, the rivers capture sediment and fresh water from about 1.2 million square miles (3.2 million square kilometers), or about 20 percent of the entire continent. In this image, the Uruguay River can be seen carrying dark sediment from the north while the Paraná spreads into several branches as it winds through dark green wetlands. Both rivers appear swollen and exceptionally sediment-laden, most likely the result of flooding that occurred in northern Argentina in mid-December 2024.
A large group of gray pixels on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata marks the human-made structures of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This city is the capital and largest city of Argentina, spanning an area of about 1,500 square miles (3,885 square kilometers) and providing a home to more than 17.5 million people.
The countryside surrounding the Río de la Plata glows gold in the springtime sunshine. Most of the region is filled with agricultural fields and pastureland. Argentina is a major producer of wheat, corn, and soybeans. Most wheat is harvested in November through January, with mature wheatfields colored in glorious gold and tan. Soybeans are planted during this same period, with freshly planted fields often taking on a brown tint typical of soil. Green patches may be areas growing agricultural crops, such as corn or barley, or fallow fields, or patches of forest.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 1/2/2025
Resolutions:
1km (111 KB), 500m (299.2 KB), 250m (565.9 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
