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August 27, 2026 - Gulf of Carpentaria
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Sitting between Australia’s Northern Territory and Queensland, and bounded in the north by the Arafura Sea, the large Gulf of Carpentaria spans an area of about 300,000 square kilometers (115,830 square miles)— making it roughly equivalent to the size of Italy. Despite the impressive width, the Gulf remains quite shallow, averaging only 55-60 meters (180-217 feet) with the deepest area measuring 82 meters (269 feet). It also accepts fresh water from many rivers that flow from the mainland, including the Gilbert River, Cox River, McArthur River, and Mission River.
The shallow depth, silt-laden bottom, run off from sediment-rich coastal lands, and currents stirred by the numerous rivers all combine to create near-perfect conditions for sediment to swirl, creating colorful waters. At times, blooms of microscopic plant-like organisms known as phytoplankton also thrive in these waters.
In this true-color image acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on August 19, 2026, the green-toned halo along the shoreline most likely marks suspended sediment. Further offshore, swirls of turquoise and blue may be sediment that has sunk below the surface, a bloom of phytoplankton, or a combination of both. The swirls mark currents within the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/19/2026
Resolutions:
1km (209.8 KB), 500m (536.9 KB), 250m (294.9 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Sitting between Australia’s Northern Territory and Queensland, and bounded in the north by the Arafura Sea, the large Gulf of Carpentaria spans an area of about 300,000 square kilometers (115,830 square miles)— making it roughly equivalent to the size of Italy. Despite the impressive width, the Gulf remains quite shallow, averaging only 55-60 meters (180-217 feet) with the deepest area measuring 82 meters (269 feet). It also accepts fresh water from many rivers that flow from the mainland, including the Gilbert River, Cox River, McArthur River, and Mission River.
The shallow depth, silt-laden bottom, run off from sediment-rich coastal lands, and currents stirred by the numerous rivers all combine to create near-perfect conditions for sediment to swirl, creating colorful waters. At times, blooms of microscopic plant-like organisms known as phytoplankton also thrive in these waters.
In this true-color image acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on August 19, 2026, the green-toned halo along the shoreline most likely marks suspended sediment. Further offshore, swirls of turquoise and blue may be sediment that has sunk below the surface, a bloom of phytoplankton, or a combination of both. The swirls mark currents within the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/19/2026
Resolutions:
1km (209.8 KB), 500m (536.9 KB), 250m (294.9 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
