Sun glint over the Aegean Sea - related image preview

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Sun glint over the Aegean Sea

Sunglint cuts a diagonal line across this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image of Greece and the Aegean Sea. Seen as a tan washed-out strip, sunglint occurs when the satellite is directly in line with sunlight being reflected from the water. If the water had been perfectly smooth, an image of the sun would have been reflected from its surface. But since each individual wave is acting as a mirror, the sunlight is scattered making it appear in a swath. In this image, sunglint highlights wave patterns on the Aegean Sea (top) and the Sea of Crete (bottom). Active fire detections are represented by red squares in this image taken on July 23, 2003.


Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published July 24, 2003
Data acquired July 23 - 23, 2003

Source:
Terra > MODIS
Topic:
Human Dimensions > Natural Hazards > Fires
Collection:
Visible Earth