Images
August 4, 2024 - Bloom off of Southeastern Australia
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The coastline of southeastern Australia wore a halo of turquoise and green in early August 2024. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the scene on August 2.
The brilliant colors are likely caused by a bloom of microscopic plant-like organisms known as phytoplankton. Blooms—large floating colonies caused by massive reproduction—are common in the Bass Strait between the Victoria coastline and Tasmania. Satellite imagery has shown phytoplankton blooming in the Bass Strait for more than a month. This bright patch of water may be, at least in part, an extension of the more southerly Bass Strait bloom.
It is also likely that sediment contributes to the bright colors of the scene, directly and/or indirectly. Heavy rains swept much of the state of Victoria in July, including areas that had been under drought conditions. Such rains sweep sediment from the land into the sea. Sediment appears mud colored as it floats near the surface but as it sinks, the reflectivity changes. This means that the color also changes, first to green and then, when sediment sinks more deeply, to blue—then it can’t be seen at all. Sediment also can indirectly influence ocean color by providing nutrients that spur the growth of phytoplankton.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/2/2024
Resolutions:
1km (99.5 KB), 500m (260.9 KB), 250m (531.9 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
The coastline of southeastern Australia wore a halo of turquoise and green in early August 2024. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the scene on August 2.
The brilliant colors are likely caused by a bloom of microscopic plant-like organisms known as phytoplankton. Blooms—large floating colonies caused by massive reproduction—are common in the Bass Strait between the Victoria coastline and Tasmania. Satellite imagery has shown phytoplankton blooming in the Bass Strait for more than a month. This bright patch of water may be, at least in part, an extension of the more southerly Bass Strait bloom.
It is also likely that sediment contributes to the bright colors of the scene, directly and/or indirectly. Heavy rains swept much of the state of Victoria in July, including areas that had been under drought conditions. Such rains sweep sediment from the land into the sea. Sediment appears mud colored as it floats near the surface but as it sinks, the reflectivity changes. This means that the color also changes, first to green and then, when sediment sinks more deeply, to blue—then it can’t be seen at all. Sediment also can indirectly influence ocean color by providing nutrients that spur the growth of phytoplankton.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/2/2024
Resolutions:
1km (99.5 KB), 500m (260.9 KB), 250m (531.9 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
