Satellite images of Catalonia have captured a dramatic environmental change. Following intense easterly winds and heavy rainfall, NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) satellites recorded massive plumes of river sediment extending kilometres into the Mediterranean Sea. These vast brown swathes paint the blue waters, illustrating the aftermath of recent severe weather and flooding in Catalonia.
Satellite Images Catalonia: Visible from Space
NASA’s Terra satellite finally recorded clear, cloud-free satellite images of Catalonia on Friday, 23 January. However, the ESA’s Sentinel-2 satellite glimpsed the storm’s aftermath earlier on 21 January. Consequently, the images vividly show the volume of water and debris flushed out by major rivers. These include the Llobregat, Fluvià, Ter, and Muga following significant increases in flow rates.
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Impact on the Costa Brava and Barcelona Coastline
In the north, the river Fluvià appeared completely stained brown near Sant Pere Pescador. Therefore, a high concentration of suspended solids discharged directly into the Gulf of Roses. Meanwhile, satellite images of Catalonia highlighted extensive flooding between the Fluvià and Muga rivers. This inundation, particularly around the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà wetlands, underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to update Catalonia’s flood maps.
Further south, the river Ter created a sediment plume stretching tens of kilometres out to sea. In addition, vast expanses of crops and meadows remained submerged by floodwaters near the river mouth.
Near Barcelona, clouds partially obscured the Tordera’s mouth. However, the Llobregat river was clearly visible, ejecting a long plume of sediment that drifted southwards. This impact was a significant factor in the recent storm damage to Barcelona’s coastline.
Comparison to Historic Storms like Gloria
Despite the recent weather’s intensity, coastal damage appears less catastrophic than during previous historic storms. For example, in the Ebro Delta, the fragile Trabucador bar remained largely intact. This stands in stark contrast to Storm Gloria (2020) and Storm Filomena, which both breached the bar and devastated rice paddies.
Furthermore, the satellite images of Catalonia highlighted significant snow cover across the Pyrenees and Montseny. This added a layer of white to the landscape above the sediment-stained coast. For more information on how satellites monitor environmental changes, you can visit ESA’s Earth observation page.
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