Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite image highlights northwest Namibias dramatic landscapes and crucial water sources supporting special ecosystems. This image exposes northwest Namibias arid terrain, including geological formations and the Ugab River, vital for local wildlife. Credit: Contains customized Copernicus Sentinel data (2024 ), processed by ESAThe Copernicus Sentinel-2 objective caught a sensational false-color picture of northwest Namibia, showcasing the dry landscapes of the Kunene and Erongo regions, stressed by the near-infrared channel to highlight sporadic plants. Considerable geological features such as the Brandberg Massif and the Zerrissene turbidite system show up, alongside the ephemeral Ugab River, which supports unusual wildlife like the desert elephant.This image may look like the surface of Mars, however it was really captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 objective, revealing the sensational terrain of northwest Namibia.The area imagined here includes part of the Kunene and Erongo regions, two of Namibias 13 regions. The Ugab River, noticeable as a winding, white line cutting through the center of the image, clearly marks the border between Kunene (to the north) and Erongo.This false-color image was taken in April 2024 and Copernicus Sentinel-2s near-infrared channel was used to highlight the sparse vegetation of this incredibly arid, desert landscape. Red spots of plant life are noticeable along the Ugabs main course.The Ugab is ephemeral, just streaming above the surface area of its sandy bed a couple of days each year. Its subterranean water serves as a crucial resource for varied wildlife, consisting of the uncommon desert elephant.Namibia is renowned not only for its amazing landscape, but also for providing ideas to the history of tectonic plate movement in this part of Africa.Several considerable geological features dominate this image.The circular, light brown development on the right stands out from the surrounding aircraft; it is the Brandberg Massif, a granite mountain and, reaching 2500 m, one of the greatest points in Namibia. It came from throughout the Early Cretaceous rifting that caused the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean.In the Ugab River valley, the impressive outcrop noticeable in shades of blue is the Zerrissene turbidite system, comprising folded, sedimentary rocks and spanning nearly 2700 sq km.The ring-shaped rim of the Messum Crater can be seen in the bottom center of the image. Contrary to its look, the crater was not formed by a meteorite or asteroid impact, rather its part of a collapsed volcano. With a diameter of more than 20 km, it consists of 2 concentric circles of hills surrounding a large, flat basin.Human presence in the area is very little. Straight, white lines cutting across the landscape are roads, a subtle pointer that this area is not entirely unpopulated.
