From 400 km above Earth ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst took this picture of South America as the International Space Station flew by at 28 800 km/h.
The orbital outpost flies over the planet between latitudes 52ºN/S, reaching from the tip of South America to the UK.
Map of flood extent on the Paraná River in northern Argentina near the border with Paraguay. Water bodies and surrounding wetland areas observed by the German TerraSAR-X satellite on 11 June 2008 are colored blue, while recently flooded areas imaged by Sentinel-1A on 15 June 2014 appear in red.
This map was produced following an activation of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. More information.
The radar on Sentinel-1 is able to ‘see’ through clouds, rain and in darkness, making it particularly useful for monitoring floods. Images acquired before and after a flood offer immediate information on the extent of inundation and support assessments of property and environmental damage.
An unusual view of South America and the Andes mountains, acquired by Proba-V on 23 April 2014.
Located in the fertile agricultural region of Argentina's Pampas is a guitar-shaped forest made up of cypress and eucalyptus trees. An Argentinian farmer planted the forest in memory of his departed wife. The image was acquired November 2, 2007, covers an area of 10.2 by 12.3 km, and is located at 33.9 degrees south, 64 degrees west.
Río de la Plata estuary between Argentina and Uruguay, acquired by Proba-V in November 2013.
Wildfires have struck the Cordoba province of northern Argentina, caused by high temperatures and strong winds. The large fire, which began on September 9, 2013, spread to more than 37,000 acres (15,000 hectares), destroyed numerous homes, and led to the evacuation of several villages. This image, acquired on September 22, 2013 by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft, shows the extent of the burned area in black. Healthy vegetation, like forests and farm land, is depicted in red. The image covers an area of 19 by 30 miles (30 by 49 kilometers), and is located near 32.1 degrees south latitude, 64.8 degrees west longitude.
Heavy rains, which began in mid-June, have resulted in major flooding along the Parana River in Argentina. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes in cities along the river. The neighboring countries of Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil have also been affected. Vegetated areas are shown in shades of red; the river and flooded areas are blue and turquoise; clouds are white and light blue. This image from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument, acquired on July 6, 2013, covers an area of 54 by 28.5 kilometers (33.5 by 17.7 miles), and is located at 28.2 degrees south latitude, 59.1 degrees west longitude.
The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft captured this view of severe flooding in La Plata, Argentina, on April 4, 2013. Torrential rains and record flash flooding has killed more than 50 and left thousands homeless, according to news reports. La Plata is located 20 miles (50 kilometers) from Buenos Aires. In the image, flooded areas east and west of the city appear in dark blue. A heavy sediment load gives the Rio Plata its yellow-brown color. The image covers an area of 15.8 by 16.7 miles (25.5 by 27 kilometers) and is located at 34.8 degrees south latitude, 58 degrees west longitude.
The southern Atacama Desert is pictured in this Envisat image, with the border of Chile (west) and Argentina (east) running down the middle. The Atacama is believed to be the driest desert in the world, and the lack of cloud cover in this image highlights the dry climate.
This image was acquired by Envisat’s MERIS instrument on 4 March 2012.
