Spain, Strait of Gibraltar – ASAR - 20 May 2002

This Envisat radar image shows the Strait of Gibraltar. Seas exposed to strong easterly winds are shown in bright blue. Darker areas are sheltered by the mountain ranges in Spain and Morocco, and thus subjected to lighter winds.

Large wave patterns between the two areas are associated with varying wind speeds at sea surface and are caused by atmospheric waves that have formed behind the mountain ranges of the Moroccan peninsula. Such information is useful to understand the climatology in this region where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean and strong currents and winds are common.

On land, this high-resolution image shows a detailed topographic profile, provides information on vegetation, and shows the harbours of Cadiz and Gibraltar, and the runway of the airport of Gibraltar.

HL/WS (10/07/2002). False colour by CNES

Technical Information:
Instrument: Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR)
Mode: Image Mode, Swath IS2
Acquisition date: 20 May 2002
Orbit number: 01150
Orbit direction: Descending
Polarisation: VV
Resolution: 25 metres