A vast area of the Pacific Ocean along the coast of Peru is colored green with algae in this image, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ( MODIS ) on NASAs Aqua satellite on February 23, 2004. Like their land based counterparts, algae are green because of chlorophyll, the pigment that translates solar energy into nutrients for the plant. The algae are growing near the surface of the ocean where sunlight can reach them, and near the shore, where cold ocean waters are pushed from the bottom to the surface. Such waters carry the additional nutrients the algae need to grow. Source: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC |
In the Andes Mountains in western Peru, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite detected numerous fires burning on August 14, 2003. In the image, the fires have been marked with red dots. Source: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC |
This Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) image, cropped from a full scene, covers an area of 14 x 18 km. ASTER, an instrument aboard NASA’s Terra satellite, acquired the image on December 22, 2000. Visible and infrared spectral bands were combined to create a simulated true-color image. The Nasca Lines are located in the Pampa region of Peru, the desolate plain of the Peruvian coast 400 km south of Lima. The Lines were first spotted when commercial airlines began flying across the Peruvian desert in the 1920’s. Passengers reported seeing ‘primitive landing strips’ on the ground below. The Lines were made by removing the iron-oxide coated pebbles which cover the surface of the desert. When the gravel is removed, they contrast with the light color underneath. In this way the lines were drawn as furrows of a lighter color. On the Pampa, south of the Nasca Lines, archaeologists have now uncovered the lost city of the line-builders, Cahuachi. It was built nearly 2,000 years ago and mysteriously abandoned 500 years later. Source: NASA GSFC, MITI, ERSDAC, JAROS, U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team |
Lake Junin, Andes Mountains, Peru June 1993. The dark feature in the center of the color infrared image is Lake Junin. Located at approximately 13393 feet (4082 meters) above sea level, Lake Junin is about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northeast of Lima in the Andes Mountains. Numerous erosional stream channels and deep canyons are visible at the top (northeast) of the image. The rivers drain eastward and eventually flow into the Amazon Basin of eastern Peru. Notice that there is a redder border that encircles three-quarters of the lake (except the southwest coast). This is an indication that healthy green vegetation (green, chlorophyll-bearing vegetation is portrayed as reddish hues in color infrared images) can be mapped around most of the periphery of the lake. The lake measures roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) in length and approximately 9 miles (15 kilometers) in width. Some of the mountainous terrain immediately southwest of the lake shows an intensively folded, northwest- aligned landscape.. Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA/JPL/NIMA |
Lake Titicaca, at an elevation, of 12,507 feet (3,812 meters) in the Andean Altiplano, is the highest large lake in the world. More than 120 miles long and 50 miles wide, it was the center of the Incan civilization, and today straddles the boundary between Peru and Bolivia. Perhaps more importantly, Lake Titicaca contains one of South America’s longest climate records, extending back more than 25,000 years. Scientists have studied indicators of the water level changes over time in Lake Titicaca to tease out information about precipitation shifts in the high Andes and the South American tropics. Because the lake occupies the low point of the Altiplano, much of the water of the high plateau eventually trickles into the lake. And because it is surrounded by mountains, very little of Lake Titicaca’s water drains out—the Rio Desguadero is the only major outflow river. So, like a bathtub with no drain, this large and deep lake (with depths of several hundred feet) has become the collecting basin for more than 25,000 years of sediment. These sediments and their fossils contain clues about past climate conditions. The restricted outflow of the lake creates conditions where even shorter, interannual climate cycles (like El Niño/Southern Oscillation) impact Lake Titicaca’s water levels. Recent lake level variations have been several meters, with low levels occurring during regional droughts of El Niños. Right now, the region is relatively wet. In this image, the dark greens of the wetlands along the shallower margins of the lake contrast strongly with the surrounding desert, while large cities like Puno, Peru (100,000 people), are difficult to discern from the surrounding countryside, Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA/JPL/NIMA |
Yauca and Acari River Canyons, Peru May 1996. The dry, canyonlike terrain of the Peruvian coast is visible in this northeast-looking, low-oblique photograph. Clouds cover the western Andes Mountains, the longest mountain system in the world, which began to form 600 million years ago. Uplifted coastal plains deeply grooved the coastal areas, sculpturing deep canyons, some of which extend to the coast. A slow uplift continues to build the Andes, which are rising approximately 4 inches (10 centimeters) each century. Visible are many small canyons and two major ones—the Acari River Canyon (center of photograph) and the Yauca River Canyon to its south. Some irrigation is discernible in both river valleys and near the coast where the rivers empty into the Pacific Ocean. Point Chala appears at the bottom right of the photograph.. Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA/JPL/NIMA |
Ampato Volcano, Peru October 1988. The Andes Mountains region of South America is known as the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Thousands of volcanoes are scattered throughout the 4500-mile (7200-kilometer) length of the Andes from Panama to the southern tip of Chile (Tierra del Fuego). This photograph shows two major snowcapped volcanoes in the Arequipa Department of southern Peru. Southernmost Ampato Volcano rises more than 20 700 feet (6310 meters) above sea level. A vent developed on the northeast side of Ampato Volcano where a flank eruption occurred, as evidenced by the extensive, darker lava flow, which is almost always indicative of more recent flows. Many of the volcanoes exhibit the pronounced, classic, radial drainage pattern. The deeply shadowed canyon northwest of Ampato Volcano is part of the Colca River Valley, whose river eventually empties into the Pacific Ocean. Most of the rivers flowing through this part of Peru are short and flow intermittently. This mountainous region is part of the Western Cordillera where the climate is extremely arid, with most areas receiving less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of precipitation annually; therefore, vegetation is sparse. The Peruvian coastal mountains are under the influence of a dry air mass that is stabilized by the cold Peru Current.. Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA/JPL/NIMA |
Coastal fog commonly drapes the Peruvian coast. This image captures complex interactions between land, sea, and atmosphere along the southern Peruvian coast. When Shuttle astronauts took the image in February of 2002, the layers of coastal fog and stratus were being progressively scoured away by brisk south to southeast winds. Remnants of the cloud deck banked against the larger, obstructing headlands like Peninsula Paracas and Isla Sangayan, giving the prominent “white comma” effect. Southerlies also produced ripples of internal gravity waves in the clouds offshore where warm, dry air aloft interacts with a thinning layer of cool, moist air near the sea surface on the outer edge of the remaining cloud bank. South of Peninsula Baracas, the small headlands channeled the clouds into streaks—local horizontal vortices caused by the headlands provided enough lift to give points of origin of the clouds in some bays. Besides the shelter of the peninsula, the Bahia de Pisco appears to be cloud-free due to a dry, offshore flow down the valley of the Rio Ica.. Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA/JPL/NIMA |
Coropuna and Soliman Volcanoes, Peru May 1997. This image shows two magnificent, snow-covered stratovolcanoes located in the Andes Mountains of southern Peru. Just to the left of center lies the 21080 foot (6419 meters) Coropuna Volcano. To the west (above) sits Solimana with at an altitude of 20069 feet (6121 meters). Both have been dormant for the past 100,000 years. To the west (top center and top left of the image) is the deep canyon of the Colohuasi River, which merges with the Ocona River (upper left). As the Andes have continued to rise, these rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean, have kept pace by eroding deep canyons and valleys.. Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA/JPL/NIMA |
Lake Titicaca, Peru and Bolivia June 1996. Located in the high plateau of the Andes Mountains at roughly 12500 feet (3700 meters) above sea level, between Peru and Bolivia is Lake Titicaca (large dark feature at center). The lake is divided by a north-south boundary that partitions the northwest section of the lake to Peru and the southeast section to Bolivia. Climatically, this section of the Altiplano is classified as semi-desert. Most of the precipitation that falls comes with the summer rains. This moisture, or recharge of freshwater into Lake Titicaca, is supplemented by melting snow and ice from the Andes Mountains. This image graphically shows the impact that the Andes Mountains has on the local climate (cloud covered eastern slopes of the Andes versus cloud free conditions on the Altiplano).. Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA/JPL/NIMA |
Sabancaya, Chachani, and El Misti Volcanoes, Peru May 1997. The snow-covered stratovolcanic peaks of Sabancaya (left center), Chachani (just bottom-right of center), and world famous El Misti (just right of Chachani) are located in the Andes Mountains of southern Peru. Sabancaya, at 19,972 feet (5967 meters), has been active as recently as May 1990 through February 1992. The Camana River Canyon or Valley (center of image) separates Sabancaya and Chachani Volcanoes. Chachani Volcano at 19867 feet (6057 meters) is presently dormant. Its last eruption was estimated to have occurred over 100,000 years ago. To Chachani Volcano’s southeast, and separated by the canyon of the Chili River is the cone-shaped El Misti Volcano. El Misti at 19150 feet (5840 meters) last volcanic activity occurred in March of 1870. Earthquakes are common around the volcano, however, a major eruption has not occurred in centuries. The upper portion of the image shows numerous older extinct and dormant volcanoes with their extensive lava and ash flows. The lower portion of the image depicts the high plain to the southwestward toward the Pacific Ocean.. Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA/JPL/NIMA |
Sechura Desert, Peru April 1993. The Sechura Desert of northwestern Peru is typical of the hyperarid conditions that exist along the west coast of South America where the cold Humboldt (Peruvian) Current generates very little precipitation, especially along the northern coast of Chile and the entire coast of Peru. The tan landscape is almost devoid of any vegetation, except for limited areas where sufficient moisture exists to sustain some growth. The faint wind streaks show the prevailing southwest-to-northeast wind throughout the desert. A low mountain [1580 feet (480 meters)] is barely visible on the peninsula that juts into the cold Pacific Ocean. The darker area in the desert southeast of Sechura Bay appears to be an oasis area where possibly a hardy variety of cotton is grown with the use of irrigation. This photograph demonstrates the importance of elevation by the increase in vegetative cover (darker area along the eastern side of the photograph) as the land begins its ascent into the Andes Mountains. The west-flowing Cascajal River exits the Andes Mountains, begins its trek across the Sechura Desert, and apparently disappears beneath the sandy soil of the desert before reaching the cultivated field near the coast. The south-flowing Piura River, partially obscured by clouds, can also be seen as it traverses the desert. Both of these rivers flow only when there is sufficient icemelt or snowmelt from the Andes Mountains or precipitation.. Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA/JPL/NIMA |
Some of the deepest canyons in the world cut west to the Pacific from the high crest of the Andes Mountains in Peru. This dramatic image taken from the International Space Station provides a birds-eye view down the canyons of the Rio Camana and the Rio Ocona. The low early morning sun highlights the extreme topography created by rapidly uplifting mountains and powerful water erosion by water dropping nearly 10,000 feet (more than 3000 m) in this view. At the edge of the image is the snowy flanks of Nevado Coropuna, the highest mountain in the Cordillera Occidental (6613 meters).. Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA/JPL/NIMA |
Arid Coast of Peru Following. the last major upheaval of the Andes Mountains, rivers flowing down into the Pacific Ocean have carved dramatic canyons along Peru’s southern coast. In geologic terms, the canyons are relatively young—carved over the past 8 million years. This oblique (off-vertical) image from March 14, 2003, provides a southward look down Peru’s rugged, arid coastline between 15.5 and 17 degrees South latitude. The canyons run from left to right and appear grayer than the surrounding reddish-brown terrain. The canyons found here are some of the deepest and steepest on Earth—lake Laguna Parincocha (top left corner) lies on the Andean plateau about 3,250 meters (10,700 feet) above sea level, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the coast. At lower left, a dense pattern of parallel grooves has been carved into a sheet of volcanic rock by now-dry streams. The volcanic rock is a kind called ignimbrite, which is the result of an eruption of hot gases and small rock fragments that flow from the volcano like a fluid (a pyroclastic flow). In an ignimbrite, the rock fragments are mostly pumice, a lightweight volcanic glass full of cavities. The Yauca and Acarí rivers feed small, tan-colored sediment plumes into the sea (lower right). Dark green agricultural fields cluster along the lower courses of the rivers. Strong southerly winds have generated sand dunes and dark wind streaks along the coast, whose alignments re-curve inland into the lower river valleys (lower right). The coast and canyons are commonly hazy due to oceanic air and blowing dust. Yellow lines parallel with the coast and near the small peninsula are raised shorelines probably caused by tectonic uplift of the coastline., Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA/JPL/NIMA |
As winter settles over the Southern Hemisphere, South America has been lashed with snow, heavy rain and intense cold since the final week of June 2004. In southern Peru, heavy snow has collapsed hundreds of homes and buildings, and killed over 75,000 farm animals. The country is struggling to provide emergency provisions to people in the poverty-stricken region, many of whom are being treated for cold-related illnesses such as pneumonia. In many mountain regions, the temperature has plummeted to -20 Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit). The cold weather also caused deaths in Argentina and Chile. Unusually cold temperatures, down to -7 Celsius (19.4 Fahrenheit), chilled southern Brazil. Source: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC |
Resembling a frosted window on a cold winters day, this lacy pattern of marine clouds was captured off the coast of Peru in the Pacific Ocean by NASA´s Terra satellite on September 4, 2003. The true-color MODIS image reveals both open- and closed-cell cumulus cloud patterns. These cells, or parcels of air, often occur in roughly hexagonal arrays in a layer of fluid (the atmosphere often behaves like a fluid) that begins to boil, or convect, due to heating at the base or cooling at the top of the layer. In closed cells warm air is rising in the center, and sinking around the edges, so clouds appear in cell centers, but evaporate around cell edges. This produces cloud formations like those that dominate the upper right. The reverse flow can also occur: air can sink in the center of the cell and rise at the edge. This process is called open cell convection, and clouds form at cell edges around open centers, which creates a lacy, hollow-looking pattern like the clouds in the lower left. Closed and open cell convection represent two stable atmospheric configurations — two sides of the convection coin. But what determines which path the boiling atmosphere will take? Apparently the process is highly chaotic, and there appears to be no way to predict whether convection will result in open or closed cells. Indeed, the atmosphere may sometimes flip between one mode and another in no predictable pattern. Source: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC |
Fascinating open- and closed-cell cumulus cloud formations, such as the one featured here, are common off the coast of Peru. In this true-color Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from August 30, 2003, the formation resembles a running ostrich, with the legs stretching diagonally across the scene from upper left to lower center. The ostrich-shape is made up of lacy open-celled clouds, which occur when air sinks at the center of the cell and rises at the edges. Surrounding the ostrich are closed-celled clouds, where the airflow is reversed: warm air rises at the center (creating cloud particles) and sinks at the edges (leaving clear air). So why do these kinds of clouds form? The reason lies in the fact that the atmosphere, though made up of gasses, behaves like a fluid. The atmosphere can “boil,” or convect, due to heating at the base or cooling at the top of a layer of atmosphere. However, the process is highly chaotic, and there is no apparent way of predicting whether convection will result in open- or closed-cell clouds. Sometimes the atmosphere will flip between one mode and the other in no predictable pattern. Of course, it is the random nature of cloud-formation that makes for such interesting images. Source: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC |
SeaWiFS sees Peru in this overpass. Source: Provided by the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
