SeaWiFS Satellite View of the Northwestern US
October 09, 2001
Provided by: NASA, ORBIMAGE, SeaWiFS Project
Summary authors & editors: Jim Foster
Clear weather over the Pacific Northwest yesterday enabled the SeaWiFS satellite to image phytoplankton blooms offshore of Washington - the most prominent bloom is the blurry bluish-green blob about 50 miles west of the Washington coast. Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that grow abundantly in oceans around the world. Collectively, the various phytoplankton species are the foundation of the marine food chain.
Also, on this image, note the snow covered Mt. Ranier (just east of Puget Sound and Seattle) and the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. To the south, fog hugs the coast of California.
Related Links: