You have already liked this page, you can only like it once! Rising m above sea level in the southwestern state of Minas Gerais, the river flows northerly to the state of Bahia. It then flows to the Atlantic Ocean, where it empties between the states of Alagoas and Sergipe. The image shows in light blue the course of the river in northern Bahia, where it forms the extensive Sobradinho Reservoir.
A combination of sediment, decomposing plants and the presence of algae and microorganisms give the water its bright hue. Covering an area of about sq km, Sobradinho is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world, and can hold more than 34 billion cubic metres of water, although its water level varies with seasonal changes.
We can see where vegetation has been cleared away for logging, farming and land cultivation. Cities, roads and agricultural fields appear in different shades of brown. A distinctive feature in this image is the area of circles at the bottom centre. These were created by a central-pivot irrigation system, where a long water pipe rotates around a well at the centre of each plot. The varying colours show different types of crop, or different stages of growth.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 is designed to monitor changing lands, including crop type and health. To adjust your cookie settings, click here. Details Related. Observing the Earth. Earth from Space image collection.
