Images
May 11, 2020 - Blooms off Japan
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An expansive phytoplankton bloom colored the waters of the North Pacific Ocean off the eastern shore of Hokkaido and Honshu islands, Japan, in early May 2020. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board that satellite acquired a true-color image showing swirling colors staining the blue ocean on May 8.
Phytoplankton, which are microscopic plant-like organisms, live in this region year-round in relatively small numbers. As daylight lengthens and temperatures warm, phytoplankton can reproduce explosively, creating large “blooms” that can easily be seen from space. The ocean off of Hokkaido and Honshu are stirred by the Oyashio current, which carries cool, lower-salinity water that is rich in iron and other nutrients from the Bering Sea and sub-Arctic North Pacific. The current also stirs up addition nutrients from the depth through upwelling. The combination of longer days, warming temperatures, and abundant nutrient is a perfect recipe for phytoplankton growth.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/8/2020
Resolutions:
1km (261.4 KB), 500m (827.8 KB), 250m (1.6 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
An expansive phytoplankton bloom colored the waters of the North Pacific Ocean off the eastern shore of Hokkaido and Honshu islands, Japan, in early May 2020. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board that satellite acquired a true-color image showing swirling colors staining the blue ocean on May 8.
Phytoplankton, which are microscopic plant-like organisms, live in this region year-round in relatively small numbers. As daylight lengthens and temperatures warm, phytoplankton can reproduce explosively, creating large “blooms” that can easily be seen from space. The ocean off of Hokkaido and Honshu are stirred by the Oyashio current, which carries cool, lower-salinity water that is rich in iron and other nutrients from the Bering Sea and sub-Arctic North Pacific. The current also stirs up addition nutrients from the depth through upwelling. The combination of longer days, warming temperatures, and abundant nutrient is a perfect recipe for phytoplankton growth.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/8/2020
Resolutions:
1km (261.4 KB), 500m (827.8 KB), 250m (1.6 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
