Bacteria near the seafloor consume organic matter and produce prodigious amounts of gas that rises to the surface.
Published Feb 20, 2015
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
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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