The 2nd image, likewise taken by an astronaut on the space station, shows the reddish-brown waters of the Betsiboka River Delta in Madagascar. Astronaut picture ISS069-E-86138 was acquired on September 7, 2023, with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a focal length of 1150 millimeters. Astronaut photograph ISS070-E-959 was acquired on September 30, 2023, with a Nikon D5 digital cam using a focal length of 400 millimeters. The International Space Station Program supports the lab as part of the ISS National Lab to assist astronauts take photos of Earth that will be of the biggest value to researchers and the public, and to make those images freely offered on the Internet.
Astronaut photo of the Betsiboka River Delta in Madagascar taken from the International Space Station on September 30, 2023.
Betsiboka River Delta: Sediments in Play
The second image, likewise taken by an astronaut on the spaceport station, reveals the reddish-brown waters of the Betsiboka River Delta in Madagascar. In this case, the color is triggered by the transport of iron-rich sediment. The sediment can clog waterways in the deltas estuarine environment, but it can likewise form brand-new islands that end up being colonized by mangroves. Numerous other water bodies, such as the reservoir fed by the Jacui River in southern Brazil, are colored by reddish sediment.
In spite of their rusty color, these arteries of water are important for biodiversity. Algae and other microorganisms act as a crucial food source for vulnerable bird types, such as the Andean flamingo in the Laguna Colorada. Within the Betisboka River Delta, the estuary provides food, such as seagrasses, to the threatened green turtle and vulnerable dugong, or sea cow.
Astronaut photo ISS069-E-86138 was obtained on September 7, 2023, with a Nikon D5 digital electronic camera using a focal length of 1150 millimeters. Astronaut photograph ISS070-E-959 was acquired on September 30, 2023, with a Nikon D5 digital electronic camera utilizing a focal length of 400 millimeters. The International Space Station Program supports the lab as part of the ISS National Lab to assist astronauts take images of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images easily offered on the Internet.
Astronaut photo of Laguna Colorada, or Red Lagoon, in the high desert plateau of the Bolivian Andes drawn from the International Space Station on September 7, 2023.
In spite of their rusty color, these arteries of water in Bolivia and Madagascar are essential for biodiversity.
A few of Earths water bodies can presume a blood-like appearance due to the presence of red-pigmented algae, bacteria, and sediments. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station typically capture photographs of this “bloody” phenomenon.
Laguna Colorada: A Rusty Beauty
This image (top), taken over the high desert plateau of the Bolivian Andes, displays the Laguna Colorada, or Red Lagoon. The picture showcases the rusty shades connected with hypersaline environments, where algae and other microbes color the shallow waters. A combination of light intensity, salt content, pH levels, and temperature level influence the development of red algae. Comparable incidents are observed worldwide, from the Great Salt Lake in the United States to Lake Aralsor in Kazakhstan.
