MSGID: 1:317/3 63bc562e   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   January 9, 2023 - Flooding along the the Murray River, South Australia   
      
      Flooding, black water event in South Australia, Murray River   
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      Wave after wave of heavy rainfall fell across a wide swath of   
      southeastern Australia in the closing quarter of 2022, leading to   
      extreme flooding in the Murray-Darling basin. According to news   
      reports, the basin saw its wettest October on record in 2022, with   
      rainfall totals nearing 150 millimeters—four times the average for the   
      month and well above the previous record set in 1950.   
      
      By late November, the waters in the Murray River had begun to rise   
      ominously. On November 21, the South Australia State Government   
      declared a major emergency due to flooding, advising that peak flow   
      near Christmastime was likely to result in 185 gigalitres of water flow   
      downriver per day, with a chance of higher. That’s the equivalent of 48   
      billion U.S. gallons per day, or about 73,000 Olympic-sized swimming   
      pools.   
      
      In early January 2023, flood waters were still cresting in some   
      locations. On January 5, local news reported that a levee had been   
      breeched by rising waters near Mannum, a town located on the west bank   
      of the Murray River in South Australia. By January 7, peaking   
      floodwaters had inundated most of the town, including flowing down   
      Mainstreet. Because of the very flat topography of the Riverlands near   
      the Murray, water recedes exceedingly slowly. Even after the crest is   
      past, residents may wait weeks before they can begin to assess damages   
      to their property-and months more before the river fully returns to its   
      banks.   
      
      The long-term, vast flooding has also caused fish kills and toxic algae   
      overgrowth in some regions, including in Lake Bonney, which had to be   
      closed to recreation temporarily. Widespread “blackwater” events have   
      been reported. Blackwater occurs naturally when floods wash leaves,   
      grass, and other organic materials into waterways. This creates an   
      abundant nutrient load, can be a good food source for fish and other   
      aquatic life. As temperatures warm, these creatures become even more   
      active, and their activity, along with decomposing organic matter,   
      depletes oxygen in the water. This low-oxygen blackwater can lead to   
      extensive fish kills.   
      
      On January 6, 2023, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer   
      (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of   
      the flooded Murray River in South Australia. Below this is an Aqua   
      MODIS image acquired about a year prior, on January 15, 2022, which   
      shows a view of the Murray in a more normal year.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Aqua   
      Date Acquired: 1/6/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (131.9 KB),  500m (325.8 KB),  250m (190.1   
      KB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-01-09   
       
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