Earth from Space: The Triple Frontier
by Staff Writers
Paris (ESA) Feb 27, 2023

The Triple Frontier, a region where Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina meet, is featured in this false-colour image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

Zoom in to explore this image at its full 10 m resolution or click on the circles to learn more about the features in it.

This multitemporal composite was created by combining three different images, acquired in March, July and November 2022 using the mission's infrared channel. Each image has been assigned a colour: red, green and blue respectively. This technique is used to highlight changes between acquisitions and to monitor the vegetation growth.

Cultivated fields stand out in bright colours. Shades of blue, cyan and violet indicate that the crops were lusher in November, when the third image was captured, compared to the previous acquisitions. Areas that have remained almost unchanged over the three dates, such as forests and urban areas, appear in shades of grey, while water bodies, which absorb most of the near-infrared light, can be easily identified in black.

The upper part of the image is dominated by the branched-shape of the Itaipu Reservoir, which lies on the Parana River and crosses the border between Paraguay (west) and Brazil (east).

Further south, the confluence of the Iguacu (or Iguazu) River into the Parana River is where the borders of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina meet. The sinuous paths of both waterways form natural boundaries. Paraguay lies west of the Parana River, while the Iguacu River divides Brazil (north) from Argentina (south).

A colourful patchwork of agricultural fields can be seen both in Paraguay and Brazil, while the Argentinian landscape here is covered mostly by a dense forest. About 20 km southeast of the confluence, along the Iguacu River, lie the spectacular Iguacu Falls, visible as an elongated horseshoe. One of the world's largest and most impressive waterfall systems, the falls are at the heart of two adjacent national parks, which appear as grey areas in both Argentina and Brazil.

Related Links
Copernicus Sentinel-2 at ESA
Earth Observation News - Suppiliers, Technology and Application