October 6, 2024 - New Zealand's Cook Strait

New Zealand

On September 30, 2024, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image centered on the Cook Strait. The springtime image also shows snow atop the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs down the spine of New Zealand’s South Island. Snow also marks the peaks of Mount Taranaki and the larger Mount Ruapehu on the North Island.

The Cook Strait is a narrow strip of water that separates New Zealand’s North Island and South Island. It also connects the Tasman Sea (west) and the South Pacific Ocean (east). It has a reputation for being among the world’s roughest stretches of water. New Zealand lies within the “Roaring Forties,” a belt of winds that circles the globe around 40 degrees south. The westerlies hit the islands side on and run into the mountain ranges that poke upwards from both the South and North Islands. Cook Strait is the only opening for the winds, so the channel becomes something of a wind tunnel. Crossing the Strait on a windy day can be done, but it is a rough ride.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 9/30/2024
Resolutions: 1km (128.6 KB), 500m (353 KB), 250m (738.1 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC