May 14, 2023 - Lake Tana

Lake Tana
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Lake Tana is Ethiopia’s largest lake, the main source of the Blue Nile
River, and a hotspot of biodiversity. It was designated as a UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve in 2014 and is also recognized by BirdLife
International as an Important Bird Area (IBA).

The lake sits in the northwest corner of the Ethiopian plateau about
350 miles (563 km) northwest of Addis Ababa. Lake Tana is very shallow,
with a maximum depth of 45 feet (14 meters). This shallow depth allows
sediment to swirl in the lake, carried by currents caused by the 60
rivers that pour into the lake or by strong winds. Sediment can color
the water in shades of tan or green, and frequent algae blooms can also
tint the lake with a green tone. There are 37 islands in Lake Tana,
many of which support large colonies of birds while others are sites of
ancient churches and monasteries.

Because of the location of Lake Tana, it is an important stopover and
wintering site for many migratory birds on the flyway between Europe,
Asia and Africa. The large undisturbed reedbeds around the lake serve
as breeding, feeding, and roosting sites for endemic and rare species,
such as the Wattled Crane and Black-crowned Crane and are essential for
their survival.

On May 11, 2023, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of
Lake Tana. The multi-colored waters of the lake stand out in high
contrast to the rugged Ethiopian plateau surrounding the lake. Dek
Island, the largest of Lake Tana’s many islands, is easily visible in
the southwestern section of the lake.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 5/11/2023
Resolutions: 1km (178.6 KB), 500m (501.7 KB), 250m (351.8
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=2023-05-14

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