Buenos Aires - MERIS - 17April 2004

This image of Buenos Aires and Montevideo on the River Plate was acquired on April 17 2004 by Envisat's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS), working in full resolution mode with a spatial resolution of 300 metres.

The large conurbation of Buenos Aires is seen as a distinct grey area on the southern bank of the River Plate, while the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo is another smaller grey mass on the north side, on the mouth of the river.

The River Plate or Rio de la Plata means 'Silver River', a name referring to supposed inland treasures rather than its murky colour. Some 57 million cubic metres of sediments are transported from upstream into the River Plate annually. Distinctive swirls are formed as this silty river water mixes with clearer ocean water.