Images
April 2, 2026 - Northwest Coast of Australia
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The bright oranges tones of Australia’s Pilbara coast contrast sharply with cool greens and blues swirling just offshore in this stunning true-color image acquired by the Moderate Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on March 31, 2026.
The soils of the Pilbara region, located in northwestern Western Australia, get their spectacular orange and red colors from a high concentration of iron oxide. Iron is one of the most abundant rock-forming elements on Earth, making up about five percent of the Earth’s crust. In Australia, iron is found in many soils across the country but is especially concentrated in and near the Hamersley Ranges, in the Pilbara district. By the end of scorching summer heat, the red soils and sand of the Pilbara region become extremely dry, making it a great source of airborne dust.
In March, strong winds from the passage of Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle whipped much of Australia’s Top End and northwest coast. Narelle, which formed on March 17 in the Coral Sea and dissipated on March 28 inland east of Perth, was only the second system to make landfall as a severe tropical cyclone (Australian category 3 or stronger) in three locations: Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle stayed offshore as it passed by most of the Pilbara region, but it made landfall near the town of Exmouth on the North West Cape north of Exmouth Bay. This area can be seen in the lower left of this image. As Narelle approached, it’s violent winds picked up the orange and red dust—and lots of it—turning the skies an eerie shade of red. Photographs taken near Shark Bay (south of this image) shows skies almost as red as blood on March 27 while the New York Times reported on the “apocalyptic” color of the skies.
The dramatic colors in the Indian Ocean are also largely a result of Narelle’s passage. Close to shore, red sediment floats on top of the water, blown there by wind. As sediment sinks lower in the water, its reflectivity (and therefore its color) changes, first to green and then to blue. Wild winds also likely churned tan sediment up from the shallow, muddy bottoms near the shores, and around Barrow Island.
Further out to sea, the blue tones mostly likely come from a floating colony of phytoplankton—microscopic plant-like organisms that live in these waters year round in small numbers. When conditions are right (enough light, correct water temperature, and plentiful nutrients), phytoplankton can reproduce explosively to create massive “blooms” that are easily seen from space.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 3/31/2026
Resolutions:
1km (76.1 KB), 500m (203.8 KB), 250m (373.1 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
The bright oranges tones of Australia’s Pilbara coast contrast sharply with cool greens and blues swirling just offshore in this stunning true-color image acquired by the Moderate Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on March 31, 2026.
The soils of the Pilbara region, located in northwestern Western Australia, get their spectacular orange and red colors from a high concentration of iron oxide. Iron is one of the most abundant rock-forming elements on Earth, making up about five percent of the Earth’s crust. In Australia, iron is found in many soils across the country but is especially concentrated in and near the Hamersley Ranges, in the Pilbara district. By the end of scorching summer heat, the red soils and sand of the Pilbara region become extremely dry, making it a great source of airborne dust.
In March, strong winds from the passage of Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle whipped much of Australia’s Top End and northwest coast. Narelle, which formed on March 17 in the Coral Sea and dissipated on March 28 inland east of Perth, was only the second system to make landfall as a severe tropical cyclone (Australian category 3 or stronger) in three locations: Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle stayed offshore as it passed by most of the Pilbara region, but it made landfall near the town of Exmouth on the North West Cape north of Exmouth Bay. This area can be seen in the lower left of this image. As Narelle approached, it’s violent winds picked up the orange and red dust—and lots of it—turning the skies an eerie shade of red. Photographs taken near Shark Bay (south of this image) shows skies almost as red as blood on March 27 while the New York Times reported on the “apocalyptic” color of the skies.
The dramatic colors in the Indian Ocean are also largely a result of Narelle’s passage. Close to shore, red sediment floats on top of the water, blown there by wind. As sediment sinks lower in the water, its reflectivity (and therefore its color) changes, first to green and then to blue. Wild winds also likely churned tan sediment up from the shallow, muddy bottoms near the shores, and around Barrow Island.
Further out to sea, the blue tones mostly likely come from a floating colony of phytoplankton—microscopic plant-like organisms that live in these waters year round in small numbers. When conditions are right (enough light, correct water temperature, and plentiful nutrients), phytoplankton can reproduce explosively to create massive “blooms” that are easily seen from space.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 3/31/2026
Resolutions:
1km (76.1 KB), 500m (203.8 KB), 250m (373.1 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
