Images related to Phytoplankton and Hydrogen Sulfide off the Coast of Namibia

Hydrogen Sulfide Eruptions Along the Coast of Namibia
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Hydrogen Sulfide Eruptions Along the Coast of Namibia

People living along Namibia’s desert coast have long been familiar with the rotten-egg smell that periodically emanates from the Atlantic Ocean. With an economy that is largely based on fishing, the locals are also used to seeing millions of fish die whenever the unpleasant scent fills the air. The smell and the fish die-off are caused by hydrogen sulfide erupting from decaying plants on the sea floor. On May 12, 2004, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of a hydrogen sulfide eruption in progress.

Published May 13, 2004

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Hydrogen Sulfide Eruption off Namibia
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Hydrogen Sulfide Eruption off Namibia

Published Jul 30, 2007

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Sulfur Plume along Namibian Coast
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Sulfur Plume along Namibian Coast

Published Oct 20, 2003

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Phytoplankton Bloom off Namibia
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Phytoplankton Bloom off Namibia

A flash of blue and green lit the waters off Namibia in early November 2007 as a phytoplankton bloom grew and faded in the Atlantic Ocean. The bloom stretches from north to south along hundreds of kilometers, though it is brightest in the center of this image. Such blooms are common in the coastal waters off southwest Africa where cold, nutrient-rich currents sweep north from Antarctica and interact with the coastal shelf. At the same time, the easterly trade winds push surface water away from the shore, allowing water from the ocean’s floor to rise to the surface, bringing with it iron and other material. The suffusion of nutrients from both the currents and upwelling water creates an environment where tiny surface-dwelling ocean plants (phytoplankton) thrive.

Published Nov 22, 2007

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Bright Waters off the Namibian Coast
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Bright Waters off the Namibian Coast

Acquired November 21, 2010, this natural-color image shows brightly colored water off the coast of northern Namibia.

Published Nov 22, 2010

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