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March 13, 2026 - Volga River Delta and the Caspian Sea
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The Volga River is the largest river system in Europe, draining more than 1.2 million square kilometers (0.46 million square miles), primarily in Russia. Rising from a trickle in the Valdai Hills northwest of Moscow, the Volga travels generally southward more than 3,500 kilometers (2,100 miles) before it twists into multiple channels to form a massive delta on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea. The Volga is the primary source of fresh water discharge into the salty waters of the Caspian Sea.
On March 12, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the Volga River Delta and the northern Caspian Sea.
Fog covers a portion of the Volga River, in the upper left (northwest) corner of this image, but disappears shortly before the river breaks into numerous braids across the wide Delta. As the Volga discharges its fresh water and sediment into the Caspian Sea, coastal waters appear tan and then green. Floating sediment appears tan when close to the surface but, as it sinks, it tends to take on a greenish appearance.
Further to the east, the waters of the extremely shallow northeastern tip of the Caspian Sea are infused with green and white tones, a combination that suggests the presence of both sediment and mineral salts.
The white color along the coastline marks a thick crust of dried mineral salts which has been created as the saline water of the Caspian Sea evaporates along the edge as the water recedes. Radar altimetry data collected by multiple satellites and compiled by NASA’s Global Water Monitor indicate that the Caspian’s water levels have been dropping since the mid-1990s. Scientists have stated that the falling levels are caused by multiple factors, including the regulation of river inflows, desalination, hydrocarbon contamination, rising air temperatures, and reduced precipitation in the drainage basin.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 3/12/2026
Resolutions:
1km (300.4 KB), 500m (734.1 KB), 250m (1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
The Volga River is the largest river system in Europe, draining more than 1.2 million square kilometers (0.46 million square miles), primarily in Russia. Rising from a trickle in the Valdai Hills northwest of Moscow, the Volga travels generally southward more than 3,500 kilometers (2,100 miles) before it twists into multiple channels to form a massive delta on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea. The Volga is the primary source of fresh water discharge into the salty waters of the Caspian Sea.
On March 12, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the Volga River Delta and the northern Caspian Sea.
Fog covers a portion of the Volga River, in the upper left (northwest) corner of this image, but disappears shortly before the river breaks into numerous braids across the wide Delta. As the Volga discharges its fresh water and sediment into the Caspian Sea, coastal waters appear tan and then green. Floating sediment appears tan when close to the surface but, as it sinks, it tends to take on a greenish appearance.
Further to the east, the waters of the extremely shallow northeastern tip of the Caspian Sea are infused with green and white tones, a combination that suggests the presence of both sediment and mineral salts.
The white color along the coastline marks a thick crust of dried mineral salts which has been created as the saline water of the Caspian Sea evaporates along the edge as the water recedes. Radar altimetry data collected by multiple satellites and compiled by NASA’s Global Water Monitor indicate that the Caspian’s water levels have been dropping since the mid-1990s. Scientists have stated that the falling levels are caused by multiple factors, including the regulation of river inflows, desalination, hydrocarbon contamination, rising air temperatures, and reduced precipitation in the drainage basin.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 3/12/2026
Resolutions:
1km (300.4 KB), 500m (734.1 KB), 250m (1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
