Images
July 8, 2008 - Phytoplankton Bloom off New England
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Just east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the waters are colored with blue and green swirls. This is a bloom of tiny marine organisms called phytoplankton, that, much like their land-based plant relatives, use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into food.
Some species of phytoplankton are coated with scales of calcium (chalk),
which can turn the water electric blue. Chlorophyll and other light-capturing pigments in others give the water a deep green hue. The proliferation of many different species in various stages of growth and decay can provide many nuances of color.
This image was captured by the MODIS on the Terra satellite on July 3, 2008. Also visible in the image are the islands of Martha's Vinyard (left) and Nantucket (right). They lie just south of Cape Cod.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 07/03/2008
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Just east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the waters are colored with blue and green swirls. This is a bloom of tiny marine organisms called phytoplankton, that, much like their land-based plant relatives, use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into food.
Some species of phytoplankton are coated with scales of calcium (chalk), which can turn the water electric blue. Chlorophyll and other light-capturing pigments in others give the water a deep green hue. The proliferation of many different species in various stages of growth and decay can provide many nuances of color.
This image was captured by the MODIS on the Terra satellite on July 3, 2008. Also visible in the image are the islands of Martha's Vinyard (left) and Nantucket (right). They lie just south of Cape Cod.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 07/03/2008
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
