Earth from Space - Image Description

Rio Parana, Argentina Winter/Spring 1997
The Rio Parana is one of the three major rivers in South America (the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers are the other two). Through northeast Argentina the river has a broad floodplain that averages approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers) in width and stretches from Corrientes northward to the large delta at the western end of the Rio de la Plata. As seen in this picture, the Rio Parana exhibits a winding and shifting course (highly reflective tan surface) that annually floods the extensive floodplain. The river's shallow channels frequently clog with sand bars, thereby rendering the river unreliable for transportation. Numerous tributary streams flow into the Rio Parana, mainly along the eastern side of the river. Angular patterns east and west of the floodplain indicate that some of the land along the river is used for agriculture. Darker areas (towards the center of the floodplain) on slightly higher terrain show where vegetation is growing. (Refer to NM23-719-444, NM23-719-446, and NM23-719-448 for other images of the Rio Parana in northeast Argentina.)

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