Images
December 18, 2021 - Bloomin' Waters off Australia
Follow @NASA_MODIS
Tweet
Beautiful bright blue tones curl and swirled in the deep blue waters of the Indian Ocean west of Tasmania, Australia in mid-December 2021. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image on December 16.
The gorgeous colors are from a large bloom of phytoplankton, which are microscopic plant-like organisms that live in these waters year-round. The right combination of sunlight length, warmth, and nutrients may spur explosive reproduction that resents in huge blooms that can easily be seen from space. These colorful, chlorophyll-containing organisms float on the ocean surface and, for the most part, move wherever ocean currents carry them. Because of this, phytoplankton can sometimes be used to reveal the flow of ocean currents and eddies.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 12/16/2021
Resolutions:
1km (1.8 MB), 500m (5.1 MB), 250m (3.8 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Beautiful bright blue tones curl and swirled in the deep blue waters of the Indian Ocean west of Tasmania, Australia in mid-December 2021. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image on December 16.
The gorgeous colors are from a large bloom of phytoplankton, which are microscopic plant-like organisms that live in these waters year-round. The right combination of sunlight length, warmth, and nutrients may spur explosive reproduction that resents in huge blooms that can easily be seen from space. These colorful, chlorophyll-containing organisms float on the ocean surface and, for the most part, move wherever ocean currents carry them. Because of this, phytoplankton can sometimes be used to reveal the flow of ocean currents and eddies.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 12/16/2021
Resolutions:
1km (1.8 MB), 500m (5.1 MB), 250m (3.8 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
