• MODIS Pic of the Day 27 May 2022

    From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Fri May 27 12:00:08 2022
    May 27, 2022 - Color in the Black Sea

    Black Sea
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    The dark waters of the Black Sea were colored with swirls of teal and
    turquoise on May 26, 2022, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging
    Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a
    true-color image of the scene.

    The jewel-toned colors are caused by large blooms of phytoplankton,
    which are microscopic plant-like organisms that live in these waters
    year-round in small numbers. When conditions are right—enough
    nutrients, adequate sunlight, and favorable water temperature—the
    organisms can begin to reproduce explosively, creating large blooms
    (floating colonies) that can easily be seen from space. Puffs of white
    in the western section of the image comes from thin cloud over the dark
    waters.

    The waters of the Black Sea host phytoplankton blooms frequently,
    especially in the spring and summer. The waters of the Black Sea are
    particularly favorable for growth of these organisms, thanks to the
    water dynamics. Many of Europe’s largest rivers, including the Danube,
    the Dnister, and the Dnipro (also called Dnieper) dump fresh water,
    along with fertilizers, sediment, and runoff, into the Black Sea. The
    Sea also receives some salty water through the narrow Bosporus Strait,
    which connects it to the Mediterranean Sea through the Sea of Marmara.
    Because salty water is denser than fresh water, it sinks to the bottom,
    leaving a layer of relatively fresh water on top. The two layers mix
    very little, leaving the fresh, nutrient-rich layer filled with
    phytoplankton in the top 150 meters or so, creating a near-perfect
    environment for phytoplankton reproduction during much of the year.

    Phytoplankton are the “primary producers” of the seas and oceans. These
    plant-like, microscopic algae, bacteria, and protists use chlorophyll
    to make their own food from sunlight and dissolved nutrients. More than
    150 different types of phytoplankton have been observed in the Black
    Sea over the years, and they have supported a rich bounty of fish and
    other marine organisms.

    Image Facts
    Satellite: Aqua
    Date Acquired: 5/26/2022
    Resolutions: 1km (616.3 KB), 500m (1.6 MB), 250m (1010.3
    KB)
    Bands Used: 1,4,3
    Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



    https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-05-27

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