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             The monsoon season typically lasts from June to 
              September within the Mekong basin. Shortly after the onset of the 
              summer monsoon, the MODIS on the Terra satellite detected flooding 
              around the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia.  
            In this false-colour image, taken on July 9, 2006, 
              the flood water is depicted in pale blue around the slightly darker 
              blue lake, mainly representing a myriad of rice fields and their 
              crops that are starting to grow during the wet season; natural vegetation 
              cover appears in bright green, and the remaining agricultural areas 
              of mainly bare soil appears in tan-pink colour. Clouds are light 
              blue and white.  
            In comparison, a different image taken approximately 
              a month earlier on June 16 shows central Cambodia before the rains 
              began; it shows a proportionally larger area of bare soil within 
              the agricultural areas where rice fields are being prepared for 
              the wet season crop. 
            Satellite: Terra 
              Bands Used: 7,2,1 
              Date Acquired: July 9, 2006 and June 16, 2006 
              Source: MODIS 
              Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC 
             
            Click the following links to view higher resolution 
              images: 1km, 
              500m 
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