MSGID: 1:317/3 6467b943
PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08
TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08
May 19, 2023 - South America's Pantanal

   Patanal
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   Sprawling across an area the size of the U.S. state of Washington, the
   Pantanal is Earth’s largest tropical wetland. The Pantanal is also one
   of the most biologically rich environments in the world, giving a home
   to more than 4,700 animal and plant species, including South America’s
   highest concentration of the jaguar. Sitting in the center of South
   America, the roughly 42 million acres that comprise this wetland belong
   primarily to Brazil, but Bolivia and Paraguay also share in the
   richness of this region.

   The rhythm of life in this amazing wetland is dependent on the annual
   cycle of wet and dry seasons. Each year between October and April,
   torrential rains pour across the landscape, causing several major
   rivers including the Paraguay River to overflow. The widespread
   flooding creates large pools which spur reproduction of fish, attract
   many species of birds, and impel luxurious plant growth. When the rains
   come to an end, the water slowly recedes, leaving shallow pools which
   concentrate fish populations into a buffet-style feast for wading birds
   and even some mammals. By May, residents begin to clear fields and
   plant crops, while local cattle ranchers move their herds into the
   region to feed on luxuriant grasses. Farmers often use fire to manage
   the land for agriculture, and the dry Pantanal is very vulnerable to
   severe damage when fire is overused or when it escapes control to
   become a wildfire.

   On May 17, 2023, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
   (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of a
   portion of the Pantanal at the end of rainy season. This image is
   centered near the border between Bolivia (west) and Brazil (east). The
   entire region is colored deep green from luxurious vegetation and is
   filled with flooded waterways that create numerous lakes and potholes.

   With the NASA Worldview App, it is easy to compare this image with a
   Terra MODIS image acquired on Aug 11, 2022, simply by clicking
    here. By using the arrow to scroll between the two images, the
   large differences between the end of the wet season (May) and the
   approach of the end of the dry season (August) are easily appreciated.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 5/17/2023
   Resolutions:  1km (59.8 KB),  500m (139.5 KB),  250m (263.6
   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=2023-05-19
 
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