Earth from Space - Image Description

Rio de la Plata is the muddy estuary of the Parana and Uruguay Rivers, and forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay. The rich estuary supports both capital cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

The Parana is South America's second longest river, and drains much of the southeastern part of the continent. The extensive delta of the Parana nearly reaches across the mouth of the Uruguay River. The rivers' fertile soils support extensive agriculture, including livestock, in the region surrounding the cities.

This image provides a snapshot of the complicated mixing in the Rio de la Plata between the fresh river waters and the water of the South Atlantic. The thick sediment plume of the Parana and Uruguay Rivers serves as a marker for the fresher water masses. It can be traced far out into the South Atlantic Ocean. The nutrients in the fresh water plume often feed large plankton blooms offshore.

This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.