MSGID: 1:317/3 63ed1dc8   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   February 15, 2023 - Sediment and Phytoplankton in the Gulf of Mexico   
      
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      In January and early February 2023, a series of storms brought   
      torrential rain and threats of tornadoes across Louisiana. When the   
      skies cleared on February 13, the Moderate Resolution Imaging   
      Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a   
      true-color image of patches of tan and swirls of jewel-toned water in   
      the Gulf of Mexico.   
      
      The largest patches of muddy-tan are caused by sediment pouring into   
      the Gulf from the Mississippi River (east) and the Atchafalaya River   
      (near the image center), no doubt runoff caused by the recent storms.   
      Sediment appears tan when it floats near the surface, but as it sinks   
      it looks green and then blue. This color shift is obvious near the   
      large sediment plumes. Darker tan sediment can also be seen floating   
      Lakes Maurepas, Pontchartrain, and Borgne which sit north of the   
      Mississippi Delta.   
      
      Swirls of bright color can be seen in the dark Gulf waters west of the   
      Atchafalaya plume and dull jewel-tones tint the water under broken   
      layers of cloud in the south. While sediment may lend a little color   
      here, phytoplankton are almost certainly playing a leading role in the   
      jewel-toned appearance. Phytoplankton are microscopic plant-like   
      organisms (algae) that live in these waters year-round in relatively   
      small numbers. With adequate sunlight, nutrients, and warm water   
      temperature, phytoplankton can reproduce explosively to create large   
      and colorful blooms. Sediment-laden runoff carries an infusion of   
      nutrients into the Gulf of Mexico, encouraging phytoplankton growth.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Aqua   
      Date Acquired: 2/13/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (332.1 KB),  500m (891.2 KB),  250m (1.7 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=2023-02-15   
       
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