SPACEPHOTOS

This east-looking, low-oblique photograph exhibits the delta of the sediment-laden Omo River as it continues to expand southward into Lake Turkana (Lake Rudolf) in northern Kenya. The Omo River, with its headwaters in the highlands of Ethiopia, is 400 miles (644 kilometers) long and has been dumping vast amounts of sediment into Lake Turkana since the late 1950s. The delta has expanded from the northern end of the lake to its present position (center of the photograph) in less than 40 years. The increased sediment is caused by deforestation along most of the watercourse. Located in the Great Rift Valley of eastern Africa, Lake Turkana, 154 miles (248 kilometers) long and approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers) wide, is surrounded by volcanoes. The lake has no natural outlet, and despite the great influx of fresh water from the Omo River, it is becoming more saline each year. A small island, the remnant of an old volcanic peak, is visible south of the delta.