\n<\/p>\n
This image may resemble the surface of Mars, but it was actually captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, revealing the stunning terrain of northwest Namibia.<\/p>\n
Zoom in to explore this image at its full 10 m resolution or click on the circles to learn more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The area pictured here includes part of the Kunene and Erongo regions, two of Namibia\u2019s 13 regions. The Ugab River, visible as a winding, white line cutting through the centre of the image, clearly marks the border between Kunene (to the north) and Erongo.<\/p>\n
This false-colour image was taken in April 2024 and Copernicus Sentinel-2\u2019s near-infrared channel was used to highlight the sparse vegetation of this extremely arid, desert landscape. Red patches of vegetation are discernible along the Ugab\u2019s main course.<\/p>\n
The Ugab is ephemeral, only flowing above the surface of its sandy bed a few days each year. However, its subterranean water serves as an important resource for diverse wildlife, including the rare desert elephant.<\/p>\n
Namibia is renowned not only for its spectacular landscape, but also for offering clues to the history of tectonic plate movement in this part of Africa.<\/p>\n
Several significant geological features dominate this image.<\/p>\n
The circular, light brown formation on the right stands out from the surrounding plane; it is the Brandberg Massif, a granite mountain and, reaching 2500 m, one of the highest points in Namibia. It originated during the Early Cretaceous rifting that led to the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean.<\/p>\n
In the Ugab River valley, the impressive outcrop visible in shades of blue is the Zerrissene turbidite system, comprising folded, sedimentary rocks and spanning nearly 2700 sq km.<\/p>\n
The ring-shaped rim of the Messum Crater can be seen in the bottom centre of the image. Contrary to its appearance, the crater was not formed by a meteorite or asteroid impact, rather it\u2019s part of a collapsed volcano. With a diameter of more than 20 km, it consists of two concentric circles of hills surrounding a wide, flat basin.<\/p>\n
Human presence in the area is minimal. Straight, white lines cutting across the landscape are roads, a subtle reminder that this region is not entirely unpopulated.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n