Images
June 16, 2019 - The Black Sea
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Swirls of turquoise and green colored the waters of the Black Sea in mid-June 2019. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the colorful scene on June 13.
Jewel-toned hues appear in the Black Sea most summers. The colors are created by massive blooms of phytoplankton, while the swirls are formed by the flow of water currents and eddies. Phytoplankton are floating, microscopic, plant-like organisms that make their own food from sunlight and dissolved nutrients. When sunlight, water temperature, and nutrients are all available in the right proportions, the tiny organisms reproduce explosively, creating large blooms that can easily be seen from space. Thanks to the inflow of nutrients carried by rivers like the Danube and Dnieper as well as lengthening days and warming temperatures, color typically can be seen in the Black Sea in early May and peak color usually occurs in June.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 6/13/2019
Resolutions:
1km (182 KB), 500m (415.5 KB), 250m (1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Swirls of turquoise and green colored the waters of the Black Sea in mid-June 2019. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the colorful scene on June 13.
Jewel-toned hues appear in the Black Sea most summers. The colors are created by massive blooms of phytoplankton, while the swirls are formed by the flow of water currents and eddies. Phytoplankton are floating, microscopic, plant-like organisms that make their own food from sunlight and dissolved nutrients. When sunlight, water temperature, and nutrients are all available in the right proportions, the tiny organisms reproduce explosively, creating large blooms that can easily be seen from space. Thanks to the inflow of nutrients carried by rivers like the Danube and Dnieper as well as lengthening days and warming temperatures, color typically can be seen in the Black Sea in early May and peak color usually occurs in June.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 6/13/2019
Resolutions:
1km (182 KB), 500m (415.5 KB), 250m (1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
