The Lena River Delta from space

The Lena River Delta from space Today’s Video of the Day from the European Space Agency features the Lena River Delta, the largest delta in the Arctic.

The Lena River is one of the longest in the world. It flows northward from a small mountain lake in southern Russia to the Arctic Ocean.

In this false-color image, the river is visible in bright yellow, splitting into many different channels before meandering towards the sea. As seen above The Lena River Delta from space shows the contrast of colors between the terrain.

The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission captured the image on January 14, 2019, during the peak of the Arctic winter. The Lena River, some 2,800 miles long, is one of the largest rivers in the world. The Lena Delta Reserve is the most extensive protected wilderness area in Russia.

For most of the year, the Lena River Delta—a vast wetland fanning out from northeast Siberia into the Arctic Ocean—is either frozen over and barren or thawed out and lush. Only briefly will you see it like this. After seven months encased in snow and ice, the delta emerges for the short Arctic summer.

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By Chrissy Sexton. Earth.com Staff Writer

Video Credit: European Space Agency