Algae Observed from Aloft
July 29, 2016
Photographer: Ulrich Beinert
Summary Authors: Ulrich Beinert; Jim Foster
The photo above was taken from the cockpit of an aircraft over the Baltic Sea, between Rügen, Germany and Malmö, Sweden, at an altitude over 30,000 ft (9,140 m). The white ring-like structures may look like waves crashing on sandbars, but big ships carve right through them as if they weren't even there. Actually, this is algae or possibly a type of cyanobacteria. As mid-summer arrives, nutrients from agricultural runoff combined with warmer sea water, warmer air temperatures and longer hours of daylight (sunshine) produce algae blooms such as this that often propagate on internal waves -- resulting in the ring-like structure. Photo taken on July 20, 2016.
Photo Details: Camera Maker: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.; Camera Model: E-M5MarkII; Lens: OLYMPUS M.12-40mm F2.8; Focal Length: 25mm (35mm equivalent: 50mm); Aperture: ƒ/5.6; Exposure Time: 0.0031 s (1/320); ISO equiv: 100; Software: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6.6 (Macintosh).