Images
March 10, 2019 - Tunisia
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Tucked between Algeria and Libya, the North African country of Tunisia enjoys a 713-mile- (1,148 km)-long coastline. With a landmass slightly larger than the state of Georgia (United States), the topography varies from the mountainous north, the hot, dry central plain, and a semiarid south that merges into the Sahara Desert. The climate ranges from a temperate north with mild, rainy winters and hot dry summers to the extreme heat and dryness of the desert.
On March 3, 2019, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of Tunisia.
Much of the long Tunisian coastline captured in the image lies along the Gulf of Gabès, which opens into the Mediterranean Sea. The Gulf of Gabès is filled with dull greens and blues, while brighter colors swirl in the waters of the Mediterranean. Given that most of the coloration begins near land, it is likely that one of the main contributions to the color is suspended sediment, likely washed off the land into the waters from the wet-season rains. The strong tides in the Gulf of Gabès also stir sediment off the bottom of this relatively shallow gulf.
Along with sediment, the colors may also be the result of phytoplankton—small plant-like organisms that live in these waters year-round in small numbers. When conditions are right—correct light, favorable temperature, and adequate nutrition—such phytoplankton can begin to grow rapidly, creating large blooms that can easily be seen from space. Upwelling of deeper, nutrient-rich waters can cause such blooms, which provide marine life with a source of food. Other times they are fueled by nutrient runoff from rivers and coastal waterways. Most blooms are benign, but some can become harmful when they consume too much of the oxygen in the water or when the phytoplankton species are toxic.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 3/3/2019
Resolutions:
1km (50.5 KB), 500m (129.3 KB), 250m (300.9 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Tucked between Algeria and Libya, the North African country of Tunisia enjoys a 713-mile- (1,148 km)-long coastline. With a landmass slightly larger than the state of Georgia (United States), the topography varies from the mountainous north, the hot, dry central plain, and a semiarid south that merges into the Sahara Desert. The climate ranges from a temperate north with mild, rainy winters and hot dry summers to the extreme heat and dryness of the desert.
On March 3, 2019, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of Tunisia.
Much of the long Tunisian coastline captured in the image lies along the Gulf of Gabès, which opens into the Mediterranean Sea. The Gulf of Gabès is filled with dull greens and blues, while brighter colors swirl in the waters of the Mediterranean. Given that most of the coloration begins near land, it is likely that one of the main contributions to the color is suspended sediment, likely washed off the land into the waters from the wet-season rains. The strong tides in the Gulf of Gabès also stir sediment off the bottom of this relatively shallow gulf.
Along with sediment, the colors may also be the result of phytoplankton—small plant-like organisms that live in these waters year-round in small numbers. When conditions are right—correct light, favorable temperature, and adequate nutrition—such phytoplankton can begin to grow rapidly, creating large blooms that can easily be seen from space. Upwelling of deeper, nutrient-rich waters can cause such blooms, which provide marine life with a source of food. Other times they are fueled by nutrient runoff from rivers and coastal waterways. Most blooms are benign, but some can become harmful when they consume too much of the oxygen in the water or when the phytoplankton species are toxic.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 3/3/2019
Resolutions:
1km (50.5 KB), 500m (129.3 KB), 250m (300.9 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
