(Image: ESA)

Where the imaginary line of the equator runs through Lake George in western Uganda, the planet is splitting apart. The Somali plate is inexorably moving away from the rest of the African continent, creating a valley of amazing biodiversity: the Albertine Rift.

In this composite of three radar images taken by the European Space Agency’s Envisat satellite in 2007 and 2008, Lake George is in the upper-right-hand corner. Its waters flow along the Kazinga Channel and empty into Lake Edward in the lower left of the image.

The rainbow of colours that reveal the lakes and river show the changes in water level over the year. On either side of the channel, the colours indicate water-filled craters that dot the volcanic fields.

The bright pink, purple and green areas on the land show how the surface has changed. For example, it reflects the changing amount of vegetation on the farmland that borders the rift’s protected area.