The Ohio River becomes a tributary of the Mississippi River directly south of Cairo, Illinois, a small city on the spit of land where the rivers converge. Brown, sediment-laden water flowing generally northeast to south from the Ohio River is distinct from the green and relatively sediment-poor water of the Mississippi River (flowing northwest to south). The color of the rivers in this image is reversed from the usual condition of a green Ohio and a brown Mississippi.
Published Feb 6, 2006
Heavy rain and snow swelled the rivers of Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, pushing many past flood stage during the first two weeks of January 2005. The flooding occurred after several days of rain and snow fell on the already saturated ground of the U.S. Midwest. Since the water could not be absorbed into the soaked ground, it ran off as flood water. The storms were followed by warm temperatures, which melted the snow and produced further flooding. By January 17, some of the flooding had started to recede, but large tracts of land along the Ohio and Wabash Rivers were still under water.
Published Jan 19, 2005
Acquired June 23, 2011, this natural-color image shows the Wabash-Ohio confluence after 2011 spring floods retreated.
Published Jul 3, 2011
Heavy rainfall and melting snow, plus some ice jams, raised rivers to their highest stages in nearly 20 years.
Published Mar 20, 2015
Acquired June 4, 2011, and May 3, 2011, these natural-color images compare flooded and post-flood conditions at the confluence of the Wabash and Ohio Rivers.
Published Jun 7, 2011
Acquired March 12, 2011, and February 12, 2011, these false-color images show parts of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers before and after melting snow raised water levels.
Published Mar 14, 2011
Acquired May 3, 2011, and April 14, 2010, these natural-color images show the confluence of the Wabash and Ohio Rivers.
Published May 5, 2011
