This Copernicus Sentinel-2 picture, acquired on 25 August 2026, exhibits an space of the Andean Altiplano in southern Bolivia close to the border with Chile.
Zoom in to discover this picture at its full 10 m decision.
The panorama options snow-covered mountains and quite a few lakes at an altitude starting from about 2000 m greater than 4000 m above sea stage.
It’s a false-colour picture, utilizing the mission’s near-infrared channel that picks out vegetation in purple. As a result of sparsity of this high-altitude area, vegetation is discovered primarily alongside lower-altitude river valleys and close to city areas. The satellite tv for pc picture picks out vegetation across the metropolis of Calama, at an elevation of 2260 m, within the area of Antofagasta, northern Chile, on the lower-left facet of the picture, in addition to across the Rio Pata, in Bolivia, on the lower-right facet, east of the Quetena volcano.
In between the Quetena volcano and Calama, the Andes mountain vary runs parallel to the Bolivia-Chile nationwide border. This space is a part of the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna Nationwide Reserve within the Bolivian division of Potosí. Lagoons might be seen dotted throughout the panorama, offering habitats for protected birdlife together with flamingos. The realm can also be a part of the Central Andean dry puna ecoregion, which is characterised by grasslands, vibrant lakes, volcanoes and salt flats.
The Laguna Colorada – a shallow, saline lake fed by the Sulor river – is likely one of the lagoons seen within the decrease centre of the picture, nestling at an altitude of 4278 m within the Andean Altiplano. With excessive ranges of sodium chloride, sulphates and microorganisms, the lagoon is way saltier than ocean water. Its composition, which varies in accordance with the seasons, causes the water to seem purple to the bare eye.
Nonetheless, this picture from Sentinel-2 is false-colour, so the Laguna Colorada seems to be a mixture of blue and brown, because the near-infrared channels replicate the water and areas of naked soil in and across the physique of water. The lake has been designated as a wetland of worldwide significance below the Ramsar Conference.