June 20, 2022 - Cloud and Sediment in the Amazon River Delta

Amazon River Delta
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The mighty Amazon River springs from glacier-fed streams in the Andes
Mountains of Peru, then flows more than 4,049 miles (6,516 km) across
South America to reach the northeast coast of Brazil. As it tumbles
across the continent, it accumulates sediment—bits of rocks, soil, and
clay—both from the surrounding landscape and from the many tributaries
that flow into the Amazon.

By the time reached the Atlantic Ocean, the waters of the Amazon are
muddy-colored and brimming with sediment. It has been calculated that
about 1.3 million tons of sediment pours from the mouth of the Amazon
River into the Atlantic Ocean every day. On June 17, 2022, the Moderate
Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra
satellite acquired a true-color image that clearly shows the massive
plume of sediment pouring through the Amazon River Delta and into the
Atlantic Ocean.

The milk-chocolate hue of the Amazon River and its sediment plume stand
out in sharp contrast with the “popcorn” clouds that cover coastal
Brazil. These are low-altitude cumulus clouds that are formed when
warm, humid air rises from the forest. As the moisture-filled air
rises, it also cools resulting in the development of clouds. There are
no clouds over the Amazon River because the river (and the air over the
river) is cooler than the rainforest, and the lower temperature
inhibits cloud formation.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 6/17/2022
Resolutions: 1km (809.6 KB), 500m (2.4 MB), 250m (2.2 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-06-20

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