MSGID: 1:317/3 6377c846   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   November 18, 2022 - Bloom in the South Atlantic   
      
      Bloom   
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      Gorgeous jewel-toned greens and blues swirled in a vast expanse of the   
      South Atlantic Ocean in mid-November 2022. The colors stretch from   
      north of Argentina’s Valdez Peninsula southward to the Falkland Islands   
      and from just offshore to more than 400 miles across the open sea. The   
      Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s   
      Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the spectacular scene on   
      November 16.   
      
      The colors are created by blooms of phytoplankton, which are   
      microscopic plant-like organisms that live in these waters year-round   
      in small numbers. Spurred by abundant nutrients, proper temperatures,   
      and lengthening daylight, phytoplankton can reproduce explosively to   
      create large floating masses that can easily be seen from space. The   
      variety of colors suggest that these waters contain several species of   
      phytoplankton, each containing a different set of pigments, which lend   
      their tones to the bloom.   
      
      Large blooms frequently color the South Atlantic Ocean in this   
      location, especially in the spring and summer, when sunlight is   
      abundant and sea surface temperatures warm. This spot is also a   
      convergence zone, where two strong ocean currents collide. The icy   
      Malvinas Current, which is an offshoot of the frigid Circumpolar   
      Current that circles Antarctica, shoots northward along the coast of   
      South America. At the same time, the Brazil Current carries warm   
      sub-tropical waters southward. In addition, warm water pours into the   
      Atlantic Ocean from the Rio de la Plata between Argentina and Uruguay,   
      and is carried southward. These currents mix and mingle in the South   
      Atlantic north of the Falkland Islands, creating a rich and diverse   
      haven for marine life—including phytoplankton.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Aqua   
      Date Acquired: 11/16/2022   
      Resolutions:  1km (1 MB),  500m (2.7 MB),  250m (6.1 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=2022-11-18   
       
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