October 1, 2020 - Western Australia

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   Western Australia
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   Sunny September skies over Western Australia allowed a spectacular view
   of the tan, browns, and orange that the dry Kimberly Plateau as well as
   the bright white salt pans spotting the arid interior. The colors of
   the land reflect differences in elevation and associated vegetation.
   The darkest terrain tends to sit more than 1,000 feet (305 meters)
   above sea level. Salt pans, remnants of lakes which have evaporated and
   left mineral crusts behind, occupy the lowest land, sometimes sitting
   near or below sea level.

   A halo of jewel-toned greens and blues hug the coast and surround the
   Bonaparte Archipelago, a group of islands and islets, reefs and shoals,
   located just off the Kimberly coast. The deeper waters of the Indian
   Ocean appear deep blue. The shallow coastal waters are subject to
   strong tidal action, which washes sediment from the silty bottom and
   keeps it suspended in the constantly-moving tides and currents. Most of
   the color seen in this image appears to be from suspended sediment,
   based on the location and the gradation of color from tan (near shore)
   to green then blue. Sediment appears muddy when it floats in the top
   layer, then changes reflectivity—and color—as it sinks in a water body.
   It is also possible that some of the color may be from
   phytoplankton—small plant-like organisms that float in upper water
   layers.

   The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board
   NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this stunning true-color image of
   northern Western Territory, Australia on September 21, 2020.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 9/21/2020
   Resolutions:  1km (71.5 KB),  500m (208.2 KB),  250m (493.1
   KB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2020-10-01
 
