Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

Fifty years of observing the Earth means Landsat has witnessed many land surface changes. A few of those changes are shocking in their sheer scale and swiftness.

A vast wetland in southern Iraq has been decimated in recent decades by a variety of factors—all documented by the consistent and objective data from Landsat satellites.

Imagery from Landsat’s first few weeks of operation in summer 1972 shows the Mesopotamian Marshes at nearly their maximum extent. Over time, Landsat shows the marshes diminish, dry up, and then partially recover.

The Mesopotamian Marshes are divided into three areas: Al Hammar, Central, and Al Hawizeh.

Aug. 1, 2, 1972, Landsat 1 (path/row 178,179/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

Imagery

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Aug. 1, 2, 1972, Landsat 1 (path/row 178,179/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

Apr. 29, May 8, 1986, Landsat 5 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

May 29, June 5, 1988, Landsat 5 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

May 10, 19, 26, 1990, Landsat 5 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

June 14, 23, 1991, Landsat 5 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

June 12, 19, 1993, Landsat 5 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

June 1, 10, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

May 13, 22, 2000, Landsat 7 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

Apr. 29, May 6, 2003, Landsat 7 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

June 6, 13, 2014, Landsat 8 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

June 9, 16, 2015, Landsat 8 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

Apr. 24, May 3, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

May 8, 15, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

May 10, 11, 2022, Landsat 8, 9 (path/row 165,166/38,39) — Mesopotamian Marshes, Iraq

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References (Earthshot Overview/Parent Only)

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McCarron, L., 2021, The Last of the Marsh Arabs: Noema, accessed May 9, 2022, at https://www.noemamag.com/the-last-of-the-marsh-arabs/.

NASA, 2009, Reclaiming Mesopotamia’s Marshes: NASA Earth Observatory, accessed May 9, 2022, at https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/38409/reclaiming-mesopotamias-marshes.

NASA, 2010, World of Change: Mesopotamia Marshes: NASA Earth Observatory, accessed May 9, 2022, at https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/Iraq.

UNEP, 2001, The Mesopotamian Marshes—The Demise of an Ecosystem: UNEP Early Warning and Assessment Technical Report, accessed May 9, 2022, at https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/8231/-The%20Mesopotamian%20Marshlands%20_%20Demise%20of%20and%20Ecosystem-2001227.pdf?sequence=3.

Vinez, M., and Leonard, S., 2010, The Iraq Marshlands—the Loss of the Garden of Eden and its People: Illinois State University, accessed May 9, 2022, at https://pol.illinoisstate.edu/downloads/conferences/2011/LeonardIraqMarshes.pdf.