The South American nation of Guyana has two rainy seasons: May to August, and November to January. February typically experiences much drier conditions. In late February 2011, however, the country received roughly 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain in a 24-hour period, Bloomberg reported. It was more than what Guyana usually receives in the entire month, and rice farmers worried that their crops might be lost.
Acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite, these images show an area along the Guyana coast on February 26, 2011 (top), and February 5, 2011 (bottom). These images use a combination of infrared and visible light to increase the contrast between water and land. Water ranges in color from electric blue to navy. Vegetation appears bright green. Clouds appear pale blue-green, and cast dark shadows.
Taken a few weeks apart, these images show subtle yet discernible changes to marshy areas southeast of Georgetown. Compared to the surrounding vegetation, the marshy areas appear dark in both images, but the wide expanses of deep blue in late February testify to higher water levels. On February 23, the Jamaica Observer reported that soils in the region might already be saturated by heavy rains. Authorities linked the heavy rains to La Niña.
References & Resources
- Bloomberg. (2011, February 26). Heavy rains, floods hit Guyana during dry season. Bloomberg Businessweek. Accessed February 28, 2011.
- Caribbean Media Corporation. (2011, February 23). Heavy rains cause concerns in Guyana. Jamaica Observer. Accessed February 28, 2011.
- CIA World Factbook. (2011, February 14). Guyana. Accessed February 28, 2011.
NASA images courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott.
