The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over one in every of Earth’s most excessive environments: the Danakil Melancholy in Ethiopia.
Zoom in or click on on the circles to discover this picture at its full 10 m decision.
Situated in northeastern Ethiopia, close to the border with Eritrea, the Danakil Melancholy lies between the Danakil Alps on the east and the Ethiopian Plateau on the west. It’s a plain fashioned by the continental drift of three tectonic plates, thinning Earth’s crust as they pull aside.
This tectonic setting, referred to as the Afar Triple Junction, is chargeable for shaping the area’s various geological options. Because of its distinctive geology, Danakil’s panorama encompasses a mixture of salt flats, desert shrubland and lively volcanoes, producing sizzling, acidic springs with vibrantly colored mineral swimming pools.
Danakil is thought for being one of many lowest, hottest and driest locations on Earth. It sits at a mean of 120 m beneath sea degree, with annual temperatures typically reaching above 50°C. It receives little or no rainfall, with most of it evaporating rapidly.
This false-colour picture from 7 August 2025 exhibits the northern a part of the Danakil Melancholy.
The assorted shades of inexperienced replicate the totally different floor sorts, displaying proof of historical marine and river programs throughout the entire picture. Lighter greens denote older geology, whereas darker tones point out youthful terrains.
The pink expanse denotes a fancy hydrothermal system fashioned by the recent springs and the acidic ponds within the space. The inexperienced characteristic at its centre is Dallol, a melancholy internet hosting a cinder cone volcano. Dallol is incessantly known as one of the vital inhospitable and hottest inhabited locations on Earth.
On the backside of the picture, two lakes – Karum and, additional south, Bakili – may be seen in black, because the picture was processed utilizing Sentinel-2’s near-infrared channel which makes water our bodies seem darkish or black.
Southwest of Lake Karum rises Gada Ale, a 287-m-high stratovolcano constructed of lava and ash. Its gently sloping sides of basaltic lava seem in a darkish hue, with the youngest flows being the darkest colors.
Because of its excessive situations, visiting and learning this space may be fairly difficult. From their vantage level in house, Earth orbserving satellites, resembling Copernicus Sentinel-2, are the proper device to systematically picture and monitor such distant and distinctive environments.
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