Images
November 30, 2020 - Bloom off Australia
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A spring bloom produced a swirling spin of color in the waters of the Great Australian Bight in November 2020. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the colorful scene on November 25.
The swirl of bright blue indicates an area where pigment-containing microscopic organisms known as phytoplankton have reproduced in vast numbers, creating a bloom so large it can easily be seen from space. With a name derived from the Greek works “phyto” (plant) and “plankton” (made to wander or drift), these plant-like organisms live in watery environments. When conditions are right, phytoplankton populations can grow explosively, a phenomenon known as a bloom. Conditions in the Great Australian Bight frequently cause up upwelling of deep water in certain areas, bringing nutrients from near the ocean floor towards the surface. This creates a feast for the upper-layer floating phytoplankton and may spur blooms centered over the upwelling.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 11/25/2020
Resolutions:
1km (150.9 KB), 500m (490.3 KB), 250m (141.4 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
A spring bloom produced a swirling spin of color in the waters of the Great Australian Bight in November 2020. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the colorful scene on November 25.
The swirl of bright blue indicates an area where pigment-containing microscopic organisms known as phytoplankton have reproduced in vast numbers, creating a bloom so large it can easily be seen from space. With a name derived from the Greek works “phyto” (plant) and “plankton” (made to wander or drift), these plant-like organisms live in watery environments. When conditions are right, phytoplankton populations can grow explosively, a phenomenon known as a bloom. Conditions in the Great Australian Bight frequently cause up upwelling of deep water in certain areas, bringing nutrients from near the ocean floor towards the surface. This creates a feast for the upper-layer floating phytoplankton and may spur blooms centered over the upwelling.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 11/25/2020
Resolutions:
1km (150.9 KB), 500m (490.3 KB), 250m (141.4 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
