Washington: NASA has shared a picture of a river, which is merging into the sea. Looking at it, it seems as if a river of tea is merging into the sea. These rivers flow through swamps, wetlands and forests. Which are rich in decaying vegetation and other organic matter. The debris of dead leaves turns the water and the land here into a transparent brown. Because many natural chemicals found in plants – tannins, phenols and humic acids seep into the water. This process gives the tea a yellow or brown color.

This is a satellite image of 2020 that was taken two weeks after Hurricane Sani made landfall and caused massive flooding. This is a photo of Winyah Bay, South Carolina. It is a coastal estuary that exists near Georgetown, South Carolina and meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is formed by the Waccamaw River, Pee Dee River, Black River and Sampit River. The substance found in the water is ‘colored soluble organic matter’ (CDOM). After heavy rains, floodwater collects more CDOM and moves into nearby rivers before flowing into Winyah Bay and then out to sea.

The storm caused devastation

On September 16, 2020, Hurricane Sally hit Alabama with winds of 177 kmph. According to the National Weather Service report, the Category-2 storm brought up to 30 inches of rain to Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Louisiana, causing flash floods in most states. This picture was taken on October 1. Monitoring stations in Winyah Bay showed that CDOM levels here were 50 percent higher than the average for that date. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, most of the CDOM dissolved into the ocean. According to the report, due to increased levels of CDOM in the ocean, less blue light can penetrate the depth of the water. Only red light can penetrate deep below the surface.