November 19, 2020 - Horn of Africa

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   Horn of Africa
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   The tan-toned land of the Horn of Africa juts northeastward from the
   continent, as if stretching outward in search of life-giving water. To
   the north, the Gulf of Aden laps along the long shoreline while, in the
   southeast, the land gives way to the deep waters of the Indian Ocean.

   On November 14, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
   (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image
   highlighting the Horn of Africa. Most of the land seen in this image
   belongs to Somalia. Deep green marks vegetation growing in the
   relatively moist northern reaches of the Karkaar Mountains and a light
   green flush exists where recent rains have encouraged scrubby
   vegetative growth in the northern plains. The brick-red interior marks
   part of the Ogaden Desert.

   Historically, the Horn of Africa has provided a home to semi-nomadic
   herders who made their livelihood follow rains to move livestock
   (primarily camel) to freshened pastures and waterholes. For about the
   last thirty years, decreasing rains and increasing temperatures have
   made this life difficult as both pasture and water have become
   unreliable due to increasing desertification. By 2016, severe drought
   struck hard. According to the United Nations Development Program
   (UNDP), the current climate of Somalia is considered hot and dry, with
   uneven rainfall and regular droughts. A northeast monsoon occurs from
   December to February, when the south becomes hot, and the southwest
   monsoon occurs between May and October, bringing extreme heat to the
   north. Between these two rainy seasons, the conditions are hot and
   humid.

   According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
   Humanitarian Affairs, in November, southern Somalia struggles with
   severe flooding from seasonal rains, with areas along the Shabelle
   River inundated since July. More than 108,000 people have been
   displaced with 214,000 total affected. This year has also brought
   outbreaks of desert locust in Somalia and Ethiopia. According to the
   Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FOA), new
   swarms are expected to start forming in this region in December as
   breeding continues. Efforts are underway to control the locust.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 11/14/2020
   Resolutions:  1km (71.8 KB),  500m (259.1 KB),  250m (818.1
   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=2020-11-19
 
