Images
June 27, 2021 - Etosha Pan
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On June 25, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a stunning true-color image of the bright white Etosha Pan surrounded by the tans and reds of Namibia’s arid landscape.
The Etosha Pan, which is the largest salt pan in Africa, receives about 46 cm (18 inches) or rain each year. Most of this moisture falls in the hot rainy season (October – April), bringing a flush of green across the landscape and water to the Etosha Pan. When the rains cease, plants wither and the salt pan loses moisture through evaporation. Soon only mineral-encrusted surface can be seen across the salt flat, although some moisture usually remains underneath the white surface. It is this white surface that gives the salt flat its name, as “Etosha” means “great white place” in the language of the local Ovambo people.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 6/25/2021
Resolutions:
1km (254.2 KB), 500m (704.5 KB), 250m (437.7 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On June 25, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a stunning true-color image of the bright white Etosha Pan surrounded by the tans and reds of Namibia’s arid landscape.
The Etosha Pan, which is the largest salt pan in Africa, receives about 46 cm (18 inches) or rain each year. Most of this moisture falls in the hot rainy season (October – April), bringing a flush of green across the landscape and water to the Etosha Pan. When the rains cease, plants wither and the salt pan loses moisture through evaporation. Soon only mineral-encrusted surface can be seen across the salt flat, although some moisture usually remains underneath the white surface. It is this white surface that gives the salt flat its name, as “Etosha” means “great white place” in the language of the local Ovambo people.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 6/25/2021
Resolutions:
1km (254.2 KB), 500m (704.5 KB), 250m (437.7 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
