November 24, 2020 - Phytoplankton Bloom off Argentina

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   Phytoplankton Bloom off Argentina
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   A springtime bloom of plant-like ocean organisms created colorful
   swirls in the waters off southern Argentina in late November 2020. The
   Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s
   Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the jewel-toned scene on
   November 20.

   Lengthening days along with warming temperatures help spur the growth
   of phytoplankton – microscopic organisms that live near the water’s
   surface year-round in this area. When triggered by ideal conditions
   (abundant light, adequate temperatures, and nutrients), the organisms
   begin to reproduce explosively, creating large “blooms” that can easily
   be viewed from space.

   Phytoplankton blooms regularly occur off Argentina’s Patagonian coast
   for a reason: it is the convergence zone between the warm, southbound
   Brazil Current near the coast and the cold, northbound
   Malvinas/Falkland Current farther out to sea. As the currents brush
   past each other, turbulent swirls and eddies form, causing cold,
   nutrient-rich water to well up toward the surface from deeper in the
   ocean- providing a feast for rapidly increasing phytoplankton blooms.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 11/20/2020
   Resolutions:  1km (199.3 KB),  500m (625.7 KB),  250m (1.6 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=2020-11-24
 
