Images
June 25, 2021 - Phytoplankton Bloom off Iceland
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On June 24, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) acquired a true-color image of jewel-toned colors swirling in the deep blue waters off of Iceland. These colorful swirls are part of the North Atlantic spring phytoplankton bloom—an annual event that can peak as late as July in the most northern waters and may spread from about 35 degrees north latitude all the way to the Arctic Ocean.
Phytoplankton are tiny plant-like organisms that live in these waters year-round in relatively small numbers. When conditions are exactly right—increasing sunlight, warming temperatures, and abundant nutrients—they reproduce explosively to create massive blooms composed of many millions of organisms. While it requires a microscope to view an individual organism, a large floating colony can easily be viewed from space. Eventually the surface phytoplankton will consume the available nutrients and the bloom will fade.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 6/24/2021
Resolutions:
1km (180.5 KB), 500m (525.3 KB), 250m (1.3 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On June 24, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) acquired a true-color image of jewel-toned colors swirling in the deep blue waters off of Iceland. These colorful swirls are part of the North Atlantic spring phytoplankton bloom—an annual event that can peak as late as July in the most northern waters and may spread from about 35 degrees north latitude all the way to the Arctic Ocean.
Phytoplankton are tiny plant-like organisms that live in these waters year-round in relatively small numbers. When conditions are exactly right—increasing sunlight, warming temperatures, and abundant nutrients—they reproduce explosively to create massive blooms composed of many millions of organisms. While it requires a microscope to view an individual organism, a large floating colony can easily be viewed from space. Eventually the surface phytoplankton will consume the available nutrients and the bloom will fade.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 6/24/2021
Resolutions:
1km (180.5 KB), 500m (525.3 KB), 250m (1.3 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
