July 9, 2019 - Uruguay and Argentina

Heavy rains caused extensive flooding in Uruguay and Paraguay in June 2019, forcing thousands to evacuate low-lying areas in both countries. According to a report published on ReliefWeb on June 9, a national emergency was called in Paraguay as flood waters rose, cutting off rural towns. At least six people were reported killed in Paraguay. Flooding also struck parts of northeastern Argentina in May.

On July 6, 2019, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a false-color image centered on Uruguay (east) and Paraguay (northwest). A portion of northwestern Argentina can also be viewed in this image.

Scientists, emergency responders and flood mitigation decision-makers often find false-color images helpful to learn the full extent of flooding. This type of image uses infrared and visible light to highlight water from land. Vegetation appears bright green, water appears deep blue, and cloud appears either white, sometimes with an electric-blue tint. Salt and mineral, as seen in the salt flats in the west, appear bright white. The effect of recent flooding is apparent by the wide courses of the rivers, the pampas pock-marked with pools of blue water, and the salt-lined, normally shallow, Mar Chiquita Lake obviously flush with water.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/6/2019
Resolutions: 1km (509.8 KB), 500m (1.8 MB), 250m (5 MB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC