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In southwestern Angola, an expanse of coastal plains comes to an abrupt end at a natural barrier. The Hu\u00edla plateau soars<\/a> above the lowlands to elevations of around 2,300 meters<\/a> (7,500 feet). The sharp transition results in dramatic landscapes and a sudden change from an arid environment to more-temperate climes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The serrated edge of the Hu\u00edla plateau zigzags through this image, which is a mosaic of scenes acquired on June 19 and 20, 2025, with the OLI-2<\/a>\u202f(Operational Land Imager-2) and OLI on\u202fthe Landsat 9<\/a> and Landsat 8<\/a>\u202fsatellites, respectively. Areas around the plateau\u2019s edges appear green with vegetation. But the landscape tends to look much browner by late September, at the end of the region\u2019s dry season<\/a>, during which almost no rain falls.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This topography is part of the Great Escarpment<\/a> of southern Africa, a 5,000-kilometer-long feature running roughly parallel to the continent\u2019s edge. From Angola, it extends south through Namibia, across South Africa<\/a>, and then northeast into Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The image below, acquired with the\u202fVIIRS<\/a>\u202f(Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the\u202fSuomi NPP<\/a>\u202fsatellite, shows a longer segment of the escarpment in Angola.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Scientists believe the escarpment formed<\/a> after the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana<\/a> in the Jurassic period. Since then, erosion has worn away at the continental margin such that the escarpment now sits 50 to 200 kilometers (30 to 120 miles) back from the coast.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This Angolan section of the escarpment features dizzying, yet beautiful, landscapes. Tundavala Gap<\/a>, a gouge eroded into the cliff line (below), is one of the most iconic with its well-framed view of the plains below. The precipice also presents a substantial obstacle to transportation. A stretch of the Namibe-Lubango Road overcomes this challenge with a series of scenic hairpin turns climbing to Serra da Leba pass<\/a> near the town of Leba.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Lubango, one of Angola\u2019s largest cities<\/a>, occupies a valley on the Hu\u00edla plateau. In addition to its remarkable natural surroundings, the city boasts a diverse mix<\/a> of cultures, striking architecture<\/a>, and a wide variety of locally produced foods.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the\u00a0<\/em>U.S. Geological Survey,<\/em><\/a> and VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS\u00a0<\/em>LANCE<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>GIBS\/Worldview<\/em><\/a>, the\u00a0<\/em>Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership<\/em><\/a>, and the\u00a0<\/em>Joint Polar Satellite System<\/em><\/a>\u00a0(JPSS).<\/em>\u00a0Photo<\/em><\/a> of Tundavala Gap \u00a9 <\/em>jbdodane.com<\/em><\/a>. Story by Lindsey Doermann.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n