Start Date: End Date: Published Date Data Date
Data acquired September 16, 2005 600 x 450 56 KB - JPEG
Data acquired September 16, 2005 1200 x 900 204 KB - JPEG
Data acquired September 16, 2005 2400 x 1800 550 KB - JPEG
The waters of the Indian Ocean off the southwest coast of Australia were clouded with phytoplankton on September 16, 2005. Phytoplankton, microscopic ocean plants that grow in the sunlight surface waters, can be seen from space when dense blooms form. Such blooms are most frequent near land where currents force cold ocean water from the depths to the surface. The rising water carries with it nutrients, which fertilize the fast-growing bloom. Blooms can be small, such as the one shown here, or can extend over hundreds of kilometers. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image on September 16, 2005.
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Published September 19, 2005 Data acquired September 16, 2005