File:Nullagine River (MODIS 2020-04-23).jpg

English: The Nullagine River curves about 296 km (184 mi) through the dry outback of the Pilbara Region of Western Australia. Draining a small catchment area, this river (more technically called a headwater stream) is narrow and shallow, with a steep bed gradient. The river begins at an elevation of about 500 meters (1,640 feet) and ends as it merges with the De Grey River at about 123 m (404 ft), making a drop of about 377 m (909 ft) over its short length.

When rains come—often brought by a tropical cyclone—the Nullagine fills with water and may easily flood. In drier weather, however, the shallow river becomes dry and may be crusted with minerals. These minerals give the river a white appearance from space. Although this type of waterway can be considered “ephemeral” (filled with water only part of the year), the Nullagine carries water to several pools. These pools, named Garden Pool, Blue Bar Pool, Pelican Pool, Rock Pool, Tumbinna Pool, Rocky Pool, and Cordooin Pool, typically remain water-filled year round.

On April 19, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the Nullagine River. The river last flooded in January 2020 after the inland passage of Cyclone Blake.