Images
July 9, 2023 - Bloom off British Columbia
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Bright swirls colored the deep blue waters of the Queen Charlotte Sound off of northern British Columbia, Canada in early July 2023. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the scene on July 4.
The jewel-toned hues appear to be caused by a spring bloom of phytoplankton—microscopic, plant-like organisms that live in these waters year-round in relatively small numbers. When conditions are favorable, that is, when there is enough nutrients, daylight, and the correct water temperatures, phytoplankton can reproduce explosively to create massive floating “blooms” that can easily be seen from space.
The semi-circular and swirling patterns that are visible mark eddies that are formed by strong outflow currents from several rivers along the northwestern coast of British Columbia. In spring, these rivers carry abundant snowmelt which runs off the mountains as temperatures rise. Not only does this create strong currents, but the snowmelt helps bring nutrients into the rivers and this ultimately spurs the growth of phytoplankton.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/4/2023
Resolutions:
1km (111.4 KB), 500m (284.1 KB), 250m (607.8 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Bright swirls colored the deep blue waters of the Queen Charlotte Sound off of northern British Columbia, Canada in early July 2023. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the scene on July 4.
The jewel-toned hues appear to be caused by a spring bloom of phytoplankton—microscopic, plant-like organisms that live in these waters year-round in relatively small numbers. When conditions are favorable, that is, when there is enough nutrients, daylight, and the correct water temperatures, phytoplankton can reproduce explosively to create massive floating “blooms” that can easily be seen from space.
The semi-circular and swirling patterns that are visible mark eddies that are formed by strong outflow currents from several rivers along the northwestern coast of British Columbia. In spring, these rivers carry abundant snowmelt which runs off the mountains as temperatures rise. Not only does this create strong currents, but the snowmelt helps bring nutrients into the rivers and this ultimately spurs the growth of phytoplankton.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/4/2023
Resolutions:
1km (111.4 KB), 500m (284.1 KB), 250m (607.8 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
