A catalog of NASA images and animations of our home planet

• Credit:

  Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

The rivers of Zambia, Angola, Namibia, and Botswana are swollen with seasonal rain in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image acquired by the Terra satellite on April 12, 2004. The false-color treatment makes the flood water stand out in black against the bright green background of the surrounding vegetation. The Zambezi River begins to appear flooded in Angola, in the top center of the image. The floods grow larger as the river courses south through Zambia, culminating in a broad floodplain in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip. To the west of the Zambezi, along the border between Angola and Zambia, the Cuando River also appears to have expanded beyond its normal size. Resembling the roots of a tree, the Okavango River delta fans across the lower right corner of the image.

Images & Animations

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• NASA Official: Steven E. Platnick
• Database Updated: May 7, 2013