April 11, 2023 - Rain fills Murchinson and Gascoyne Rivers

[image04112023_main.jpg] [image04112023_rollover.jpg]

April 6, 2023 March 27, 2023
Tweet
Share

Acquired on April 6 and March 27, 2023, by the Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite, these two
false-color images show rapid changes in water level on the Gascoyne
and Murchison Rivers in Western Australia. Simply clicking on the date
below the image reveals that both the Gascoyne (north) and the
Murchison (south) Rivers were nearly completely dry on March 27. Only
10 days later, on April 6, the rivers were not only visible, but
appeared to be flooded.

The Gascoyne and Murchison Rivers are both ephemeral waterways, which
contain water only part of the year. They tend to hold water near the
end of the rainy season (April) or after heavy rains drench central
West Australia, where the rivers or located or their extended basins.
Rainstorms have impacted north and central Western Australia recently,
especially in late March through early April.

This type of false-color image helps separate water (blue) from open
land (tan, brown, or pink tints) and vegetation (green). In the earlier
image (March 27), it is easier to see the course of water in ephemeral
rivers by the streaks of green that mark vegetation growing wherever
water exists rather than blue of the water. This is because water
volume is extremely scant, but enough to support growth of tenacious
plants.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 4/6/2023
Resolutions: 1km (165.9 KB), 500m (462.3 KB), 250m (964 KB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-04-11

--- up 1 year, 6 weeks, 1 day, 20 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)