Betsiboka River Delta in Madagascar
Betsiboka River Delta in Madagascar. The braided Betsiboka River carries sediment from the island’s high central plateau and mountains toward the western coast, where it empties into Bombetoka Bay and the Mozambique Channel. The delta is comprised of complex woven channels flowing between vegetated islands of built up sediment. The small islands have erosional features along their edges where water flows down into the river channels. Historical maps of Madagascar describe the sandy to clay-rich soils around the Betsiboka River as terres rouges, or “red lands.” (The island was a French territory from 1895 to 1960.) They were describing laterites—soils rich in iron oxides—that form in tropical climates from the chemical breakdown of iron-rich rocks. These soils and sediments lend the river a rusty orange color when the island experiences heavy seasonal rain or downpours from tropical cyclones. More than 30 years of astronaut photography have captured the delta evolving and islands growing from this sediment.
Size: 4953px × 3302px
Photo credit: © NASA Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: aerial, betsiboka, country, delta, image, madagascar, nasa, river, satellite, sediment, space, view, viewed
