SPACEPHOTOS

This striking photograph shows a series of dark freshwater lakes strung together in a general northeast-southwest alignment in southern Zaire. The brilliant red of the color infrared film indicates a vibrant growth of lush vegetation throughout the area, especially in the marshlands separating the lakes. The largest area of open water is Lake Upemba, bordered on the east and southeast by Upemba National Park; specific open water channels are visible within the densely vegetated swampland between the rivers. Water moves through the complex maze of rivers, freshwater marshes, and broad floodplains generally toward the north into the Lualaba River, which eventually becomes the Zaire (Congo) River. The Lufira River winds its way between two northeast-southwest-trending, low mountain ranges as it flows northward into the floodplain.