MSGID: 1:317/3 64933ad8   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   June 21, 2023 - Popcorn Clouds over the Amazon River Delta   
      
      Clouds   
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      Bright white clouds hung over green forests and muddy-tan water poured   
      into the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of northeastern Brazil in   
      mid-June 2023. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer   
      (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of a   
      sunny day over the Amazon River Delta on June 19.   
      
      The widespread, fluffy clouds are low-altitude cumulus clouds, and   
      often are called by the nickname “popcorn clouds”, most likely because   
      they resemble popped kernels of popcorn scattered over the landscape.   
      They are common over forests at certain times of the year. They form   
      when warm, humid air rises from the forest and cools as it rises,   
      resulting in the development of the clouds. They don’t form over rivers   
      or oceans because those waters—and the air above them—are cooler, so   
      there is less moisture rising into the air.   
      
      The Amazon River travels a tremendous distance across South America,   
      picking up sediment along the way, including the foothills of the Andes   
      Mountains in Peru and Bolivia near its source. Hydrologists estimate   
      that erosion from the mountainous far western part of the river basin   
      contributes about 85 to 90 percent of all the sediment that reaches the   
      Atlantic Ocean.   
      
      By the time it reaches the Amazon Delta, the muddy waters are loaded   
      with nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) and organic matter.   
      These nutrients help to nourish a rich marine ecosystem. The estuary   
      region at the Delta is known for its many freshwater and marine catfish   
      and croakers. Many of the commercial fisheries in the estuary target   
      piramutaba and marine shrimp.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Aqua   
      Date Acquired: 6/18/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (133.8 KB),  500m (414.8 KB),  250m (3.7 MB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-06-21   
       
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