• MODIS Pic of the Day 22 February 2022

    From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Tue Feb 22 11:00:48 2022
    February 22, 2022 - Water in Uyuni Salt Pan

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    Sitting in the high Altiplano of Bolivia, the Salar de Uyuni is the
    largest salt flat (playa) on Earth. Covering an expanse of 10,582
    square kilometers (4,086 square miles), which is roughly the size as
    the “Big Island” island of Hawaii, the salar is covered with a mineral
    crust and typically looks bright white from space, especially during
    the dry season (May to November). Even though the Salar de Uyuni and
    the smaller Salar de Coipasa, which sits to Uyuni’s northwest, receive
    less than 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) of rain each year, the rainy
    season brings tremendous change. Often the mineral crust of the salt
    flats will become covered with water, creating a mirror-like effect
    when viewed from Earth—a spectacular site adored by tourists.

    On February 11, 2022, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
    (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a beautiful
    false-color image of Salar de Uyuni, the Salar de Coipasa, and Lake
    Poopo. This particular false color image uses infrared and visible
    light (bands 7,2,1), a combination that aids in separating water (deep
    blue) from vegetation (bright green), cloud (white or pale blue) and
    open land (tan). Lakes covered with mineral salts appear electric blue.
    As salt becomes wetter, it takes on a darker tone. This image makes it
    clear that all three salt flats contain copious water in early
    February, which is approaching the end of the rainy season.

    While this one image gives a clear view of the landscape at a single
    point it time, often more information can be gained by comparing the
    change in a landscape over time. Thanks to the NASA Worldview App, this
    is easy to do. To view a roll-over comparison of the salt flats near
    the end of the rainy season (this image) and the same region just after
    the dry season ended, click here.

    Image Facts
    Satellite: Terra
    Date Acquired: 2/11/2022
    Resolutions: 1km (76.3 KB), 500m (165.1 KB), 250m (393.4
    KB)
    Bands Used: 7,2,1
    Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



    https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-02-22

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