Phenomena

Atlantic Blooms

Colorful swirls mark a phytoplankton bloom in the Atlantic.

In April 2023, swirls of green and turquoise burst into vivid color in the Atlantic. Much of the color comes from a phytoplankton bloom. Although phytoplankton are individually microscopic, they form eddies a hundred kilometers across that are visible from space. In detailed images like the one above (available here in full resolution) these swirls have amazing turbulent details. Some of the brightest sections almost look like a field of sea ice! (Image credit: L. Dauphin; via NASA Earth Observatory)

This wider view shows the bloom's location off of the northeastern U.S.
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