July 19, 2022 - Nile River Delta
Nile River Delta
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A shining swath of sunglint highlighted the waters near Egypt’s Nile
River Delta in mid-July 2022. The Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a
true-color image of the broad delta and shimmering sea on July 17.
The Nile River is the longest river in the world, extending about 6,700
kilometers (4,160 miles) from its headwaters in the highland of eastern
Africa to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The fertile soils along
the Nile River and expansive delta region support the country’s
agriculture, as well as providing home for 95 percent of Egypt’s
population.
As the Nile River approaches the Mediterranean coast, the river splits
into two main branches. The Rosetta River flows westward and the
Damietta heads eastward. By the time these branches reach the
Mediterranean Sea, they sit about 87 miles (140 km) apart, and create a
wide, green floodplain. The Delta spans roughly 10,039 square miles
(26,000 square km), creating vast green oasis in an extremely arid
region.
In this image, the waters of the Mediterranean Sea appears deep blue in
the west, but a silvery-gray across the rest of the image. This silvery
gleam is caused by sunglint, an optical phenomenon that occurs when
sunlight reflects off the surface of water at the same angle that a
satellite sensor views it. It’s much like what happens when you look at
a mirror with the Sun almost directly behind you—you get dazzled by the
bright reflection of the light off the smooth surface.
Sunglint highlights not only part of the Mediterranean Sea, but also
many other water features. Both the Rosetta and Damietta Rivers, as
well as the Nile itself are glowing silver. Two large lakes
Mediterranean coast—Lake Burullus (west) and Al Manzalah Lake wear a
sheen of silver. Just east of Port Said, the Suez Canal, connecting the
Mediterranean to the Gulf of Suez and ultimately the Red Sea, is also
highlighted.
Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 7/17/2022
Resolutions: 1km (221.8 KB), 500m (628.6 KB), 250m (377.9
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=2022-07-19
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