August 26, 2022 - Blooming Lake Erie

Lake Erie
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The waters of Lake Erie were awash with swirls of blues and greens on
August 24, 2022, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image.

These startling colors mark massive floating blooms of tiny plant-like
organisms, most likely a mix of algae and the microscopic marine algae
called phytoplankton. Both of these plant-like organisms contain
chlorophyll and other pigments that can create beautiful colors when
present in large numbers. The swirls and eddies show where the masses
of floating organisms are carried by currents and buffeted by winds
that blow across the surface of the lake. Some of the lighter tints may
contain sediment carried off the coast by runoff or churned up from the
shallow floors of Lake Erie.

Blooms of algae and the smaller phytoplankton are a regular occurrence
in Lake Erie, usually starting to emerge in June and July as warming
waters encourage abundant growth. By August and September, the colors
(and numbers of organisms) typically reach their peak. Although most of
these organisms are harmless, one colorful type of algae can cause
serious problems to pets, people, birds, marine mammals and even the
local economy. The most common Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) in Lake Erie
is Microcystis, a type of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). This
organism produces potent toxins that can cause numbness, nausea,
vomiting and (rarely) liver failure. The presence of HABs is monitored
for Lake Erie and most of the surrounding waterways, and localized
outbreaks tend to occur repeatedly each summer, then disappear in the
cold waters of winter.

A Microcystis cyanobacteria bloom has been present in the western end
of Lake Erie from much of the summer. According to the National Centers
for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), on August 24 the western Lake Erie
Microcystis bloom covered an area of about 340 square miles, which is a
decrease in area since August 23. The densest bloom is between Monroe,
Michigan and Maumee Bay, Ohio, with some part of the bloom stretching
to Stony Point, Michigan eastward along the shores to Port Clinton,
Ohio. A portion also extends around the ed of the plume of the Detroit
River to the Ontario coast. Sandusky Bay also has a local cyanobacteria
bloom.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 8/24/2022
Resolutions: 1km (312.5 KB), 500m (920.5 KB), 250m (2.1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-08-26

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