SPACEPHOTOS

Rio Tapajos, Para State, Brazil July 1997 Except for scattered clouds and a few rivers in this region of the Amazon Basin, this color infrared image (green vegetation is shown as a reddish color) shows virtually an unbroken canopy of the Amazon rainforest in southwestern Para state. The thin, light colored (muddy) Rio Crepori merges with the much broader, northeasterly flowing Rio Tapajos (dark linear feature). Note that the sediment-laden water from the Rio Crepori does not mix with the water of the Rio Tapajos but instead hugs the eastern shore of the Rio Tapajos for many miles downstream. The Rio Jamanxim is also visible near the bottom of the photograph as it heads north to eventually flow into the Rio Tapajos (not visible in this image). A few small areas (lighter colored scars, top right and bottom center) can be discerned where human development is just beginning to occur in this rainforest area