MSGID: 1:317/3 641b4243   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   March 22, 2023 - Water receedes on the Darling River   
      
      [image03222023_rollover.jpg] [image03222023_main.jpg]   
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      In 2022, New South Wales suffered both a wet spring and an   
      exceptionally soggy winter, creating widespread flooding, especially in   
      the Murray and Darling Rivers. According to Australia’s ABC News, more   
      than 200 kilometers (124 miles) of the Darling River had burst its   
      banks since the middle of 2022, bringing flood levels not since 1976.   
      By March 2023, the floodwaters along the Darling River have finally   
      begun to recede.   
      
      Today’s Image of the Day shows a comparison of two false-color images   
      acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)   
      on board NASA’s Terra satellite. The first was acquired on January 17,   
      2023, when the Darling River remained in heavily flood stage. In the   
      second, acquired on March 18, 2023, the water in the Darling has   
      returned to nearly normal, except for some large pockets of water along   
      the river’s course. In this type of false-color image, water appears   
      dark blue, vegetation bright green, and open land is tan.   
      
      Flood-and-drought cycles are common along the Darling. As recently as   
      2019, drought reduced the river to such low levels that hundreds of   
      fish died. Now, after a good water year in 2021 and exceptional floods   
      in 2022, fish populations are on the rise, especially the invasive carp   
      species that lives in the river channel. As the river begins to slowly   
      return to its bank, it is likely that many of the carp will get trapped   
      on land and perish—creating a stench at first, but ultimately enriching   
      the soils.   
      
      Much of the floodplains along the Darling are used for agriculture,   
      such as croplands or pasture. In dry years, high air temperature and   
      low soil moisture can make for scrubby pasture and low crop yields.   
      This year, farmers are have reason to be hopeful of bumper crops and   
      rich pasture, thanks to the moisture brought by the floods.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Terra   
      Date Acquired: 3/18/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (150.6 KB),  500m (369 KB),  250m (207.6 KB)   
      Bands Used: 7,2,1   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-03-22   
       
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