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Earth from Space: Lake Maracaibo
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2023/11/Earth_from_Space_Lake_Maracaibo(interactive image & downloadable images at link)
Earth from Space: Lake Maracaibo
03/11/2023
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo, the largest natural body of water in South America.
[...]
The vase-shaped Lake Maracaibo extends about 200 km inland and is linked to the Gulf of Venezuela and the Caribbean Sea through a narrow straight, which looks like the ‘neck’ of the vase at the top of the image.
With an area of over 13,000 sq km, Lake Maracaibo is generally considered the largest lake in South America, although by some estimates it should be considered an inlet of the Caribbean Sea since much of its water is brought in by its direct connection to the ocean.
[...]
Unfortunately, its once pristine waters have been heavily polluted: continuous leaks from oil pipes, along with sewage and river run-off, have caused the lake to become contaminated. Although nice to see from space, the emerald-green swirls in the lake waters, visible in this image captured in August 2023, denote runaway blooms of toxic cyanobacteria, or blue–green algae, which pose a serious threat to ecology and human health.
[...]
03/11/2023
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo, the largest natural body of water in South America.
[...]
The vase-shaped Lake Maracaibo extends about 200 km inland and is linked to the Gulf of Venezuela and the Caribbean Sea through a narrow straight, which looks like the ‘neck’ of the vase at the top of the image.
With an area of over 13,000 sq km, Lake Maracaibo is generally considered the largest lake in South America, although by some estimates it should be considered an inlet of the Caribbean Sea since much of its water is brought in by its direct connection to the ocean.
[...]
Unfortunately, its once pristine waters have been heavily polluted: continuous leaks from oil pipes, along with sewage and river run-off, have caused the lake to become contaminated. Although nice to see from space, the emerald-green swirls in the lake waters, visible in this image captured in August 2023, denote runaway blooms of toxic cyanobacteria, or blue–green algae, which pose a serious threat to ecology and human health.
[...]