Images
January 25, 2021 - Snow Frames the Black Sea
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Bright white snow framed the dark waters of the Black Sea in late January 2021. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the winter’s scene on January 21.
Heavy snow drapes over Turkey’s Pontic Mountains south of the Black Sea while the Great Caucasus Mountains wear a wintery mantle along the northeast shore. In the lower elevations the land appears tan, illustrating the senescence of winter vegetation. While the plants on land have dried with the winter’s chill, plant-like organisms have blossomed in the deep blue waters of the Black Sea, creating swirls of green so large they can be seen from space. Known as phytoplankton, the microscopic organisms live in these waters year-round in relatively small numbers. When conditions are right—correct nutrients, sunlight, and water temperature—they reproduce explosively creating large floating blooms. While summer is the best time for phytoplankton blooms in the Black Sea, they may occur any time of the year.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/22/2021
Resolutions:
1km (85.7 KB), 500m (284.5 KB), 250m (848.5 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Bright white snow framed the dark waters of the Black Sea in late January 2021. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the winter’s scene on January 21.
Heavy snow drapes over Turkey’s Pontic Mountains south of the Black Sea while the Great Caucasus Mountains wear a wintery mantle along the northeast shore. In the lower elevations the land appears tan, illustrating the senescence of winter vegetation. While the plants on land have dried with the winter’s chill, plant-like organisms have blossomed in the deep blue waters of the Black Sea, creating swirls of green so large they can be seen from space. Known as phytoplankton, the microscopic organisms live in these waters year-round in relatively small numbers. When conditions are right—correct nutrients, sunlight, and water temperature—they reproduce explosively creating large floating blooms. While summer is the best time for phytoplankton blooms in the Black Sea, they may occur any time of the year.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/22/2021
Resolutions:
1km (85.7 KB), 500m (284.5 KB), 250m (848.5 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
