The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captures a cloud-free picture of Zanzibar and a part of the japanese coast of Tanzania.
Zoom in or click on on the circles to discover this picture at its full 10 m decision.
Masking an space of 1554 sq km, Zanzibar is an island within the Indian Ocean, about 35 km off the coast of east-central Africa.
This false-colour picture was processed utilizing the mission’s near-infrared channel, which highlights vegetation in purple. Such a band mixture is mostly used to evaluate plant density and well being: brighter purple means increased density and more healthy vegetation. For the reason that picture was acquired in April 2025, throughout one of many area’s wet seasons, the dominant purple color signifies a prevalence of lush vegetation.
The sturdy distinction with built-up zones, which seem in shades of brown, makes these photographs essential in clearly distinguishing between areas with vegetation and areas with out. An ideal instance is Zanzibar Metropolis, the island’s principal port and industrial centre, on the western facet of Zanzibar Island. Its city community of roads and buildings stands out clearly amongst the purple vegetation.
The brown conurbation of Dar es Salaam, the biggest metropolis and main port of Tanzania, is seen on the mainland. Its lovely seashores could be seen as lengthy, white strips on the coast close to town.
Water our bodies, such because the Indian Ocean, seem in black, whereas turbid waters, possible because of sediment from rivers and largely seen alongside the mainland coast, seem in mild inexperienced.
A lot of islands, most of that are uninhabited, are clear to see as purple spots within the water indicating they’re lined with dense vegetation. The islands simply off the shoreline of Dar es Salaam type an enormous marine reserve system, defending a wide range of habitats and biodiversity.
Coral reefs could be seen the place the darkish color of ocean water fades into lighter blue alongside the coasts of Zanzibar and across the quite a few small islands and islets surrounding it. Indicators of injury to the reefs, partly because of hotter sea temperatures, have just lately been noticed. In response, native initiatives are presently underway to guard and restore the reef ecosystem.
Because of its frequent revisits and excessive decision, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission can contribute considerably to an elevated understanding of pressures on coral reefs at a world scale.
