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August 9, 2026 - The Karimata Strait
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Indonesia’s Karimata Strait is the widest strait that connects the South China Sea to the Java Sea. The Strait separates the large islands of Sumatra from Borneo (Kalimantan) and provides important navigable channels for shipping. Several reefs and islands narrow the navigable waters as does the overall shallow depth of the strait. The current also plays a role in navigation and the current can be driven by monsoonal rains. When the weather is calm and rain scarce the water is quiet, but heavy storms can increase the flow to as much as 6 kilometers per hour (3.7 mph).
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the Karimata Strait on August 7, 2026. The large island of Borneo (Kalimantan) can be seen in the east and Sumatra lies along the western edge of the image. The round island within the Strait is Belitung while the long island situated very close to Sumatra is Bangka.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/7/2026
Resolutions:
1km (239.3 KB), 500m (672.8 KB), 250m (459.3 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Indonesia’s Karimata Strait is the widest strait that connects the South China Sea to the Java Sea. The Strait separates the large islands of Sumatra from Borneo (Kalimantan) and provides important navigable channels for shipping. Several reefs and islands narrow the navigable waters as does the overall shallow depth of the strait. The current also plays a role in navigation and the current can be driven by monsoonal rains. When the weather is calm and rain scarce the water is quiet, but heavy storms can increase the flow to as much as 6 kilometers per hour (3.7 mph).
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the Karimata Strait on August 7, 2026. The large island of Borneo (Kalimantan) can be seen in the east and Sumatra lies along the western edge of the image. The round island within the Strait is Belitung while the long island situated very close to Sumatra is Bangka.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/7/2026
Resolutions:
1km (239.3 KB), 500m (672.8 KB), 250m (459.3 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
