• Credit:

  Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Marshes and wetlands line Colombia’s Magdalena River in its course north from the Andes Mountains to the Caribbean Sea. The wetlands, which form black and blue patches along the river in the false color image, are important for birds arriving from the north for the winter. The area had received heavy rain which triggered floods and landslides. Though the floods aren't visible in these images, the tan plume of sediment flowing into the Caribbean from the Magdalena River in the true-color image may be a result of high, fast-moving waters carrying extra mud into the sea. This true and false color image pair was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on April 26, 2004.

Images & Animations

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• Database Updated: May 7, 2013