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January 14, 2011 - Phytoplankton bloom off the coast of Namibia
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On January 9, 2011, the waters off the Namibian coast appeared to be painted with spectacular swirls and swaths of iridescent blues and greens. These brilliant colors are from phytoplankton, which are blooming abundantly in the nutrient rich waters of the upwelling of the Benguela current. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite captured this true-color image that same day.
Eastern boundary current, such as the Benguela, are relatively shallow, broad and slow-flowing currents which are found on the eastern side of oceanic basins, and adjacent to the western coasts of continents. In these areas, coastal upwelling - the rising of water from the ocean floor – brings cold, nutrient rich waters towards the surface. As waters rise, they mix with warmer water and are illuminated by light near the surface. The combination of nutrition, increasing warmth, light and oxygen-rich waters, create perfect conditions for the growth of phytoplankton. Since these small organisms form the bottom of the marine food chain, these regions also support rich and diverse marine life.
There are four major eastern boundary currents – the Benguela, the Canary, the Peru-Humboldt and the California Currents. Each is associated with an upwelling that supports highly productive fisheries. Although these four upwelling regions account for only 0.1 % of the world ocean, they account for 5 % of global primary production and 17 % of global fish catch. These upwellings also give rise to frequent and beautiful blooms of phytoplankton.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/09/2010
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On January 9, 2011, the waters off the Namibian coast appeared to be painted with spectacular swirls and swaths of iridescent blues and greens. These brilliant colors are from phytoplankton, which are blooming abundantly in the nutrient rich waters of the upwelling of the Benguela current. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite captured this true-color image that same day.
Eastern boundary current, such as the Benguela, are relatively shallow, broad and slow-flowing currents which are found on the eastern side of oceanic basins, and adjacent to the western coasts of continents. In these areas, coastal upwelling - the rising of water from the ocean floor – brings cold, nutrient rich waters towards the surface. As waters rise, they mix with warmer water and are illuminated by light near the surface. The combination of nutrition, increasing warmth, light and oxygen-rich waters, create perfect conditions for the growth of phytoplankton. Since these small organisms form the bottom of the marine food chain, these regions also support rich and diverse marine life.
There are four major eastern boundary currents – the Benguela, the Canary, the Peru-Humboldt and the California Currents. Each is associated with an upwelling that supports highly productive fisheries. Although these four upwelling regions account for only 0.1 % of the world ocean, they account for 5 % of global primary production and 17 % of global fish catch. These upwellings also give rise to frequent and beautiful blooms of phytoplankton.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/09/2010
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
