• Credit:

  Provided by the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE

The roughly elliptical blanched area in this SeaWiFS true-color image results from the specular reflection of sunlight from the ocean's surface. Robinson Crusoe Island and, to a lesser extent, Alejandro Selkirk Island appear to have tails that extend into this sunglint region. The tails are caused by a wave regime in the lee of the islands that presents fewer surfaces off which sunlight can reflect directly into the "eyes" of SeaWiFS. In these tails we can instead see light that has been reflected from beneath the water's surface.

Images & Animations

• Webmaster: Paul Przyborski
• NASA Official: Steven E. Platnick
• Database Updated: May 6, 2013