December 28, 2021 - Spencer Gulf
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Spencer Gulf
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On December 23, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of a
sunny summer day over Spencer Gulf, Australia. The large, V-shaped
Spencer Gulf spans a length of about 200 miles (322 km) and measures 80
miles (129 km) at the mouth. Spencer is the largest of the two gulfs
seen in this image and is separated from the Gulf of St. Vincent by the
long Yorke Peninsula.
With the deep blue waters opening to the Great Australian Bight,
Spencer Gulf is surrounded by large coastal salt marshes, mud flats and
mangrove forests, and supports large seagrass meadows. These features
create a vibrant and diverse ecosystem that supports a wide range of
species, including the Giant Cuttlefish. An area in the northwest part
of Spencer Gulf, near the town of Whyalla, is the only place on Earth
where this species breeds in large numbers.
The swirls of color floating in Spencer and St. Vincent Gulfs are most
likely sediment, stirred from the sea floor by currents and tides. The
color could also be caused by phytoplankton, which are microscopic
plant-like organisms that float on the surface of the water year-round.
When conditions are right (correct amount of nutrients, water
temperature and sunlight length), phytoplankton can reproduce
dramatically to create floating blooms that are easily seen from space.
Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 12/23/2021
Resolutions: 1km (161.5 KB), 500m (405.3 KB), 250m (248.6
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=2021-12-28
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