Plöntusvif í Barents hafi

Gervitunglamynd (NASA MODIS) teking þann 16. ágúst, 2011, yfir Barents hafinu (sjá kort hér að neðan).
(Mynd NASA/Rapidfire)
Plöntusvif, eða nánar blaðgrænan (e. chlorophyll) litar hafið skemmtilega á þessari mynd – sjá nánar hér að neðan (á ensku).

Smellið á myndir til að fá stærri útgáfu (Kort frá Google maps)
Um plöntusvif og blaðgrænu
At the base of the ocean food web are single-celled algae and other plant-like organisms known as phytoplankton. Like plants on land, phytoplankton use chlorophyll and other light-harvesting pigments to carry out photosynthesis, absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide to produce sugars for fuel. Chlorophyll in the water changes the way it reflects and absorbs sunlight, allowing scientists to map the amount and location of phytoplankton. In many coastal areas, the rising slope of the sea floor pushes cold water from the lowest layers of the ocean to the surface. The rising, or upwelling water carries iron and other nutrients from the ocean floor.
(Adapted from http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/GlobalMaps/view.php?d1=MY1DMM_CHLORA)


Þröstur Þorsteinsson.