MSGID: 1:317/3 6488aec7
PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08
TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08
June 13, 2023 - Cloud Bank over the Gran Chaco

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   On June 11, 2023, a large bank of thick cloud hugged the eastern slope
   of the Andes Mountains, blanketing the Gran Chaco of southern Bolivia,
   western Paraguay, and northern Argentina. The Moderate Resolution
   Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite acquired a
   true-color image of the scene on that same day.

   The winter-time cloud spanned an area of roughly 990,000 square
   kilometers (382,240 square miles), as measured with the tools available
   on the NASA Worldview App—an area only slightly smaller than the
   country of Egypt. By June 12, the clouded area expanded dramatically to
   cover more than 2,500,000 square kilometers (965,2500 square miles) of
   South America, hugging the eastern side of the Andes Mountains in the
   west and reaching across Argentina and Paraguay to reach the South
   Atlantic Ocean. Once over the ocean, a band of cloud continued
   southeast to reach Antarctica.

   Wintertime in the lands east of the Andes, particularly the Gran Chaco,
   can often bring cloud-filled skies and gusty winds. Despite the
   impressive appearance, such clouds don’t always mean rain. Rain was not
   reported in any of the major cities underneath the clouds on June 11 or
   12.

   The tall peaks of the Andes Mountains act as a barrier to the western
   movement of clouds and precipitation, which is why clouds pile up over
   the eastern slope while the sky over the higher elevations and west of
   the Andes are clear. While the Gran Chaco is considered a hot,
   semi-arid lowland, the southern portion of the high plateau (Altiplano)
   visible in this image is cold and dry, especially in winter. The
   world’s largest and highest salt flat, the Salar de Uyuni receives less
   than 5 inches (127 mm) of rain each year, with almost all of that
   falling between December and April.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 6/11/2023
   Resolutions:  1km (1.2 MB),  500m (3.7 MB),  250m (2.7 MB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-06-13
 
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