September 2, 2020 - Caspian Sea

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   Caspian Sea
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   On August 31, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
   (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of
   swirling colors in the north-eastern Caspian Sea.

   The Caspian Sea, measured by surface area, is the Earth’s largest
   inland water body. It spans about 143,200 square miles (371,000 square
   kilometers) and borders five countries. The saline lake plunges to
   about 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) in the south, but the northern waters
   are as shallow as 16-20 feet (5-6 meters).

   Several rivers empty into the Caspian Sea, including Europe’s longest
   river, the Volga. At the border of southern Russia and western
   Kazakhstan the river widens into more than 500 channels, creating a
   remarkably broad delta where silt-laden fresh water pours into the
   Caspian Sea. These waters also carry nutrients from large quantities of
   agricultural and industrial runoff, spurring growth of algae and
   phytoplankton blooms. In this image, the Volga River Delta can be seen
   along the northeast coast of the Caspian Sea. Tan colors mark sediment
   which has been carried into the waters and suspended by currents
   stirring up the very shallow bottom. Most of the green color likely
   comes from algae or phytoplankton floating in the waters.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 8/31/2020
   Resolutions:  1km (28.2 KB),  500m (92.6 KB),  250m (273.1 KB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2020-09-02
 
