Earth from Space - Image Description

NM22-737-010 Paranaiba River Reservoir, Brazil Fall 1996
One of many reservoirs on the Paranaiba River in Goias and Minas Gerais States in south-central Brazil, can be seen in this west-looking view. Brazil is in the process of building many new reservoirs on its river systems for hydroelectric power and irrigation. The Paranaiba River is 500 miles (805 km) long rising in west Minas Gerais State flowing generally west through an agricultural region before joining the Rio Grande to form the Parana River. Diamonds have been found along the course of the Paranaiba, that exits the scene at the top center of the image. The dark green colors seen in the view are densly covered vegetation areas and are most prominent towards the bottom center of the image. The more reddish colors, especially to the left of the reservoir, are exposed lateritic soils that dominate this region of Brazil. The small city of Itumbiara is barely discernible to the right of the river (north) at the "U" bend in the river just to the west of the reservoir dam.

This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.