Images
July 17, 2023 - Bloom in the Barents Sea
Tweet
Milky-blue swirls sparkled in the deep blue waters of the Barents Sea in mid-July 2023. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the remarkable colors off the coast of Russia’s Kola Peninsula on July 14.
The color was created by a large bloom of phytoplankton—microscopic plant-like organisms that live in these waters year-round in relatively small numbers. When conditions are right, such as correct ocean temperature, sunlight hours, and satisfactory supply of nutrients, phytoplankton can reproduce explosively and produce massive blooms that can easily be seen from space.
The milky-blue color strongly suggests that this bloom is at least partially made up of a certain type of phytoplankton called coccolithophores. This group is notable because they contain plates of white calcium carbonate, which lends a white tint to the otherwise blue bloom. These species often dominate the phytoplankton bloom in this region, especially in July and August.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/14/2023
Resolutions:
1km (365 KB), 500m (1019.7 KB), 250m (2.7 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Milky-blue swirls sparkled in the deep blue waters of the Barents Sea in mid-July 2023. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the remarkable colors off the coast of Russia’s Kola Peninsula on July 14.
The color was created by a large bloom of phytoplankton—microscopic plant-like organisms that live in these waters year-round in relatively small numbers. When conditions are right, such as correct ocean temperature, sunlight hours, and satisfactory supply of nutrients, phytoplankton can reproduce explosively and produce massive blooms that can easily be seen from space.
The milky-blue color strongly suggests that this bloom is at least partially made up of a certain type of phytoplankton called coccolithophores. This group is notable because they contain plates of white calcium carbonate, which lends a white tint to the otherwise blue bloom. These species often dominate the phytoplankton bloom in this region, especially in July and August.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/14/2023
Resolutions:
1km (365 KB), 500m (1019.7 KB), 250m (2.7 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
