September 19, 2021 - Phytoplankton Bloom in the Bass Strait
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Phytoplankton bloom in the bass strait
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A thin blanket of clouds parted over the Bass Strait on September 13,
2021, allowing a glimpse at a swirling stain of blue waters. The
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s
Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the scene on that same
day.
With a width of about 160 miles (257.5 km), the Bass Strait separates
the Australian states of Victoria, on the mainland, with Tasmania in
the south. The topography of the floor of the Strait has been described
as a “perched valley”, with the eastern and western sides forming
raised ridges. Upwelling occurs in these waters frequently, especially
in the spring, bringing nutrients to the surface where it spurs the
growth and reproduction of the microscopic, plant-like phytoplankton
that float near the surface year-round. The explosive reproduction
creates massive blooms that can easily be seen from space.
Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 9/13/2021
Resolutions: 1km (2.1 MB), 500m (6.2 MB), 250m (4.9 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=2021-09-19
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