January 7, 2021 - Colors in Northern South America

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   On January 3, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
   (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a colorful true-color
   image of the northern-most tip of South America.

   Columbia’s Guajira Peninsula (west) and the Paraguan Peninsula of
   Venezuela (east) wear a halo of tan and green while a large
   tan-to-green plume stretches across the Gulf of Venezuela. These
   stunning colors are the result of sediment. As mud-colored sediment
   washes off the coastlines by rain, tidal erosion, or carried by rivers
   and inlets, it floats near the top of the water and appears a
   muddy-tan. As the sediment begins to sink under water, its reflectivity
   changes and it looks green from space.

   The large sediment plume primarily originates from the Tablazo Strait,
   which connects the Gulf of Venezuela to Lake Maracaibo. A large
   embayment, brackish Lake Maracaibo receives freshwater inflow and
   sediment from many rivers, including the Catatumbo River located near
   the southern end of the lake. In turn, the lake water flows into the
   Gulf of Venezuela—often carrying a heavy load of sediment.

   Lake Maracaibo carries color of its own—an infusion of green swirls
   decorates the dark waters. These colors are likely caused by floating
   vegetation rather than sediment. Every so often, when the normally
   stratified waters mix, conditions in the lake become ideal for plant
   growth. While it is not possible to discern the type of plant from
   true-color images, blooms of duckweed occur with regularity in Lake
   Maracaibo.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Aqua
   Date Acquired: 1/3/2021
   Resolutions:  1km (74.9 KB),  500m (225.8 KB),  250m (617.9
   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=2021-01-07
 
