'False' Earth Observation

Tajikistan from above



Credit: NASA

Vakhsh River and Lake Nurek, Tajikistan

The Vakhsh River in Tajikistan is the largest river in the country, the most important source of electricity, and it is home to world’s tallest (completed) engineered dam, the Nurek.

This false-color image shows the central part of the river, including the Nurek Dam and resulting reservoir. The image uses visible and near-infrared light to make the area’s sparse vegetation stand out from the surrounding terrain. Vegetation is red, bare ground is tan, and water is blue. Upstream of Lake Nurek, at a sharp bend in the river, the waters are pale blue; the brightness comes from sediment.