Images
August 18, 2020 - Phytoplankton Blooms off Newfoundland
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Gorgeous swirls of milky turquoise floated in the North Atlantic Ocean east of Newfoundland in mid-August 2020. The colors are the result of a large bloom of microscopic plant-like organisms (phytoplankton) that float in these waters year-round in small numbers. When conditions are right — just enough sunlight, available nutrients, and warm-enough temperatures — phytoplankton can undergo explosive growth, resulting in large blooms that can be seen from space. Such blooms are common in the North Atlantic in the summertime.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of a summer phytoplankton bloom off of Newfoundland on August 16.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/16/2020
Resolutions:
1km (199.9 KB), 500m (484 KB), 250m (930.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Gorgeous swirls of milky turquoise floated in the North Atlantic Ocean east of Newfoundland in mid-August 2020. The colors are the result of a large bloom of microscopic plant-like organisms (phytoplankton) that float in these waters year-round in small numbers. When conditions are right — just enough sunlight, available nutrients, and warm-enough temperatures — phytoplankton can undergo explosive growth, resulting in large blooms that can be seen from space. Such blooms are common in the North Atlantic in the summertime.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of a summer phytoplankton bloom off of Newfoundland on August 16.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/16/2020
Resolutions:
1km (199.9 KB), 500m (484 KB), 250m (930.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
