ISS035-E-40035
| NASA Photo ID | ISS035-E-40035 |
| Focal Length | 50mm |
| Date taken | 2013.05.09 |
| Time taken | 11:06:42 GMT |
Resolutions offered for this image:
1000 x 601 pixels 540 x 325 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 4256 x 2832 pixels 640 x 426 pixels
1000 x 601 pixels 540 x 325 pixels 720 x 480 pixels 4256 x 2832 pixels 640 x 426 pixels
Cloud masks available for this image:
Spacecraft nadir point: 44.8° N, 34.8° E
Photo center point: 43.5° N, 37.0° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Photo center point: 43.5° N, 37.0° E
Photo center point by machine learning:
Nadir to Photo Center: Southeast
Spacecraft Altitude: 222 nautical miles (411km)
Country or Geographic Name: | RUSSIAN FEDERATION |
Features: | BLACK SEA, PLANKTON BLOOM, NOVOROSSIYSK, ANAPA |
| Features Found Using Machine Learning: | |
Cloud Cover Percentage: | 10 (1-10)% |
Sun Elevation Angle: | 57° |
Sun Azimuth: | 222° |
Camera: | Nikon D3S Electronic Still Camera |
Focal Length: | 50mm |
Camera Tilt: | 35 degrees |
Format: | 4256E: 4256 x 2832 pixel CMOS sensor, 36.0mm x 23.9mm, total pixels: 12.87 million, Nikon FX format |
Film Exposure: | |
| Additional Information | |
| Width | Height | Annotated | Cropped | Purpose | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 pixels | 601 pixels | No | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 540 pixels | 325 pixels | Yes | Yes | Earth From Space collection | Download Image |
| 720 pixels | 480 pixels | Yes | Yes | NASA's Earth Observatory web site | Download Image |
| 4256 pixels | 2832 pixels | No | No | Download Image | |
| 640 pixels | 426 pixels | No | No | Download Image |
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Image Caption: Plankton Bloom, eastern Black Sea
The Black Sea, a large inland water body that connects eastern Europe and Asia Minor, frequently hosts widespread blooms of phytoplankton during the local spring and summer seasons. This astronaut photograph, taken from the International Space Station, highlights a recent plankton bloom in the Black Sea's eastern half. The phytoplankton are visible as blue to turquoise streams and swirls, carried by currents along the coastline and further out towards the middle of the water body. The urban areas of Anapa and Novorossiysk (the largest Russian seaport on the Black Sea) are visible along the northern shoreline as grey-white regions nestled between the sea and uplands hosting limestone quarries.
Phytoplankton occupies the base of most aquatic food chains, and therefore serves as the primary producers in these ecosystems, despite being microscopic in size. The term "phytoplankton" includes a number of organisms - cyanobacteria, diatoms, dinoflagellates, algae, and coccolithophores - that feed larger creatures such as fish and shrimp. The Black Sea receives contributions of freshwater from several river systems including the Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, and Don, but it is also connected to the saline Mediterranean and Marmara Seas. These same river systems can transport urban and agricultural runoff containing nutrients to the Black Sea; these nutrients can be consumed by phytoplankton and lead to blooms.
The Black Sea, a large inland water body that connects eastern Europe and Asia Minor, frequently hosts widespread blooms of phytoplankton during the local spring and summer seasons. This astronaut photograph, taken from the International Space Station, highlights a recent plankton bloom in the Black Sea's eastern half. The phytoplankton are visible as blue to turquoise streams and swirls, carried by currents along the coastline and further out towards the middle of the water body. The urban areas of Anapa and Novorossiysk (the largest Russian seaport on the Black Sea) are visible along the northern shoreline as grey-white regions nestled between the sea and uplands hosting limestone quarries.
Phytoplankton occupies the base of most aquatic food chains, and therefore serves as the primary producers in these ecosystems, despite being microscopic in size. The term "phytoplankton" includes a number of organisms - cyanobacteria, diatoms, dinoflagellates, algae, and coccolithophores - that feed larger creatures such as fish and shrimp. The Black Sea receives contributions of freshwater from several river systems including the Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, and Don, but it is also connected to the saline Mediterranean and Marmara Seas. These same river systems can transport urban and agricultural runoff containing nutrients to the Black Sea; these nutrients can be consumed by phytoplankton and lead to blooms.
