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December 24, 2025 - Sediment in the Gulf of Thailand
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Sediment swirled in the Gulf of Thailand in late December 2025. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image on December 21.
The Gulf of Thailand is a semi-enclosed inlet of the South China Sea, wrapped between the Malay Peninsula in the west and the Indochinese Peninsula in the east. The countries with a coastline along the Gulf are Thailand (north, west, and southwest), Cambodia (east), and Vietnam (southeast). It was formerly known as the Gulf of Siam.
The Gulf stretches about 800 kilometers (597 miles) long and has a maximum width of about 560 kilometers (378 miles). Many rivers pour into the Gulf, including the Chao Phraya River in the north. The large amount of freshwater inflow into the shallow Gulf affects both salinity and turbidity, leaving the waters notably less saline than the South China sea as well as frequently rich in suspended sediment.
In this image, sinking sediment appears green near the coast. As it sinks further it spreads and is dispersed by currents, almost appearing like a shadow in some locations. Sediment is particularly heavy following early December rains spurred by the onset of the monsoon season.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 12/21/2025
Resolutions:
1km (191.6 KB), 500m (476.2 KB), 250m (877 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Sediment swirled in the Gulf of Thailand in late December 2025. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image on December 21.
The Gulf of Thailand is a semi-enclosed inlet of the South China Sea, wrapped between the Malay Peninsula in the west and the Indochinese Peninsula in the east. The countries with a coastline along the Gulf are Thailand (north, west, and southwest), Cambodia (east), and Vietnam (southeast). It was formerly known as the Gulf of Siam.
The Gulf stretches about 800 kilometers (597 miles) long and has a maximum width of about 560 kilometers (378 miles). Many rivers pour into the Gulf, including the Chao Phraya River in the north. The large amount of freshwater inflow into the shallow Gulf affects both salinity and turbidity, leaving the waters notably less saline than the South China sea as well as frequently rich in suspended sediment.
In this image, sinking sediment appears green near the coast. As it sinks further it spreads and is dispersed by currents, almost appearing like a shadow in some locations. Sediment is particularly heavy following early December rains spurred by the onset of the monsoon season.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 12/21/2025
Resolutions:
1km (191.6 KB), 500m (476.2 KB), 250m (877 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
