Earth from Space: Venetian Lagoon

What happened

Sediment suspended in the water causes parts of the image to appear bright blue, while the dark blue is where the water is clearer. It shows the city of Venice, with its distinctive Grand Canal curving through the historic centre, surrounded by the blue waters of the lagoon and a number of islands.

Zoom in to explore this image at its full resolution. Venice came to prominence as a maritime republic and seafaring continues to be an important part of the city’s identity, as well as a key form of local transport.

As well as its famous canal networks, the lagoon’s landscape also contains mud flats, salt marshes and shallow tidal waters. The sea is a darker shade of blue in the lower-right corner of the image, where Venice Lido, with its white-sand beach, borders the Adriatic Sea.

Extensive salt marshes – known locally as ‘barene’ – are seen in the top-right part of the image. This area of wetland appears brown and dark green in the image and is an important habitat for migrating birds.

Key facts

• As well as its famous canal networks, the lagoon’s landscape also — includes: mud flats, salt marshes and shallow tidal waters