Start Date: End Date: Published Date Data Date
Data acquired April 22, 2004 650 x 850 110 KB - JPEG
Data acquired April 22, 2004 1300 x 1700 460 KB - JPEG
Data acquired April 22, 2004 2600 x 3400 1 MB - JPEG
The silvery reflection of the sun on the surface of the Andaman Sea reveals the internal waves that are common in this region. The waves form when the dense, lower layer of the ocean moves over an uneven section of the sea floor. The wave that results from the disturbance travels between the dense layer and the light layer of water above it, and ruffles the surface of the sea. Because the waves create large regions of alternating rough and smooth sea, they are visible from space. The rough areas are dark curves which alternate with smooth, light areas. The Andaman Islands sit on the left edge of the image, and the southern tip of Myanmar is on the top edge of the image. The mouths of the Ayeyarwady River are depositing brown silt into the ocean, tinting the water tan and green near the shore. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’ Terra satellite captured this true-color image on April 22, 2004.
Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Published May 13, 2004 Data acquired April 22, 2004