In this Aug. 5, 2013, Aqua satellite image of flooding in Pakistan, water is black or dark blue. Sediment-laden water or muddy ground is pale blue. Clouds are turquoise, plant-covered land is green and bare earth is tan-pink. Extensive flooding can be seen on the Kurram and Tochi River systems, which pour a cloud of sediment into the Indus River. Widespread floods also color the land east of the Indus River.
In early August 2013, intense monsoon rains triggered flash floods from northern Pakistan to the southern city of Karachi, leaving 58 people dead, according to the Pakistan government.
The clouds cleared on Aug. 5, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer sensor on NASA's Aqua satellite acquired an image of the flooding. The false-color image is made of near infrared, shortwave infrared and red light.
Pakistan's monsoon typically occurs in July and August. Until the recent outbreak, the monsoon had been weak, with rainfall 55 percent below normal. Weather forecasters expect one or two more intense storms in August.
Images courtesy of NASA.
