SPACEPHOTOS

Ebro River Delta, Spain June 1996 The deposition of sediment from the Ebro River has created a unique-looking, triangular-shaped delta along the east coast of Spain. The delta is a recently created landform, dating back only a few centuries. The growth of the delta during the 1900’s, however, has been dramatically reduced by the construction of dams upstream on the Ebro River and several tributaries. The dams have reduced the flow of water through the delta and the water that does pass through the delta contains less silt. There is evidence (lighter colored water in the coastal waters at the mouth of the river) in the image that sediment continues to pass through the extensive plains of the delta. Numerous canals and ponds interconnect various parts of the delta. A variety of fruits and vegetables are grown in the region with rice farming occupying a large area of the agricultural land. The mountain range (darker areas inland, somewhat obscured by clouds) that parallels the coast is part of the young Catalonian coastal mountains.