Dive in to the first images of our newest Earth-observing satellite, PACE!
Dive in to the first images of our newest Earth-observing satellite, PACE! :
These images show a phytoplankton bloom off the coast of South Africa on Feb. 28, 2024. Phytoplankton are tiny marine critters that form the foundation of the aquatic food web, and impact ocean health and the climate.
The satellite detects light across a spectrum of ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light. While previous ocean color satellites could only detect a handful of wavelengths, PACE is detecting more than 200 wavelengths, which gives scientists new information to differentiate communities of phytoplankton.
PACE is also the first satellite in our fleet to be able to pick out these different communities from space! With PACE data, scientists can study microscopic life in the ocean, and particles in the air, allowing us to monitor ocean health, air pollution, and impacts of climate change.
Image Descriptions:
1. Three-panel a composite image of the water off the coast of South Africa shows data in a hyperspectral range of light: natural color on the left, two communities of plankton in pink and green in the center, and concentrations of chlorophyl on the right.
2. In this natural-color image of the coast of South Africa (that is, as our eyes would see it), blooms of phytoplankton are shown in shades of vibrant green and turquoise. The ocean contrasts in shades of purple and violet. Land appears in different shades of clay; clouds shroud the upper edges of the image.
3. This image shows two different types of phytoplankton in the coastal waters: Synechococcus in pink and picoeukaryotes in green.
4. This image shows the concentration of chlorophyll-a, a green pigment that indicates phytoplankton are in the water. Reds, yellows, and greens swirl close to the shore, and dark blues and purples eddy further out.
Credit: NASA
#NASA #PACE #Atmosphere #Climate #Earth #Ocean #Space
[ INFORMATION
DATA: 11 April 2024 ]
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