SPACEPHOTOS

The braided, multiple channels of the Brahmaputra River of northeast India and northern Bangladesh makes a significant course change (flowing west-bottom right to flowing south-left middle), as the river skirts the northwest end of the Khasi Hills (darker area, lower left). The image was acquired during the post-summer wet monsoon period, reflecting a river that has not received much runoff from the surrounding terrain for several months. The extensive floodplain, the braided channels, and the large, light-colored sand bars are all indications of low water conditions in the river. Even the tributary streams (meandering, thin dark lines) that drain the northern part of the basin from the front range of the Himalayas show extensive sandbars. This is another indication that runoff from the hills and mountains in Northeast India and Bhutan is minimal at this time of year. Darker areas are more heavily vegetated. A small piece of the Space Shuttle can be seen in the lower right corner of the image.