Start Date: End Date: Published Date Data Date
Data acquired June 9, 2005 500 x 650 36 KB - JPEG
Data acquired June 9, 2005 1000 x 1300 124 KB - JPEG
Data acquired June 9, 2005 2000 x 2600 371 KB - JPEG
The clouds of blue and green that color the Atlantic Ocean south of Ireland are formed by millions of microscopic ocean plants. Called phytoplankton, these plants are visible from space when large blooms proliferate on the surface of the ocean. Like all plants, phytoplankton absorb energy from the sun and convert it to nutrients using chlorophyll. It is chlorophyll that gives plants their green color, and it is chlorophyll that colors the ocean green in the lower left corner of the image. Some phytoplankton are coated with chalky white scales. These give the ocean its brilliant blue color in the center of the image. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image on June 9, 2005.
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Published June 15, 2005 Data acquired June 9, 2005