Skip all navigation and jump to content Jump to site navigation Jump to section navigation.
NASA Logo - Goddard Space Flight Center + Visit NASA.gov
HOME PROJECTS RESOURCES SEARCH MAP

+ Advanced Search
Home
Home
View Most Recently Released Imagery
View Gallery of Imagery: A topical collection of SVS Imagery
Search Imagery by the keywords assigned to it
Search Imagery by the instruments that supplied data for a visualization product
Search Imagery by the series of visualizations that have been produced
Search Imagery by the scientist providing the data used in a visualization product
Search Imagery by the animator that created the product
Search Imagery by the identification number assigned to the visualization product
See other search options
Learn about the SVS Image Server
  + About the Server
  + Animation List
  + How to Use the Server


  + RSS Feeds
blank image
Previous Animation
Next Animation
SeaWiFS Views the Whole World with Three Years of Data

By monitoring the color of reflected light via satellite, scientists can determine how successfully plant life is photosynthesizing. A measurement of photosynthesis is essentially a measurement of successful growth, and growth means successful use of ambient carbon.

Until now, scientists have only had a continuous record of photosynthesis on land. But following three years of continual data collected by the SeaWiFS instrument, NASA has gathered the first record of photosynthetic productivity in the oceans. By taking three years of continuous data as a whole, experts have been able to map trends and anomalies in the global circulation of carbon to a degree of detail than has never been done before. It is a baseline measurement to by which all future measurements will be compared.


The SeaWiFS instrument looks at the world's oceans and land to observe the plant life and phytoplankton.  In this flat projection view, you can see the whole world pulse with life.    The SeaWiFS instrument looks at the world's oceans and land to observe the plant life and phytoplankton. In this flat projection view, you can see the whole world pulse with life.
Duration: 28.0 seconds
Available formats:
  320x240 (30 fps) MPEG-1   3 MB
  160x80       PNG           26 KB
  80x40         PNG           7 KB
  320x266     JPEG         13 KB
  1280x720 (30 fps) MPEG-2   45 MB
  1280x720 (30 fps) MPEG-2   22 MB
How to play our movies


In this flat projection you can see the whole world pulse with life.    In this flat projection you can see the whole world pulse with life.

Available formats:
  2880 x 1944     TIFF 5 MB
  160 x 80           PNG 21 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG 17 KB
  80 x 40             PNG   5 KB

Animation Number:2076
Animators:Stuart A. Snodgrass (SVS) (Lead)
 Marte Newcombe (SVS)
Completed:2001-03-09
Scientist:Gene Feldman (NASA/GSFC)
Instrument:SeaStar/SeaWiFS
Data Collected:1997/09/20 - 2000/09/20
Series:SeaWiFS Biosphere
Video:SVS2001-0008 *
Goddard TV Tape:G2002-010A
Keywords:
DLESE >> Biological oceanography
SVS >> Biosphere
SVS >> Carbon
DLESE >> Ecology
SVS >> HDTV
More Information on this topic available at:
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20010327colors_of_life.html
 
 
Please give credit for this item to
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, The SeaWiFS Project and GeoEye, Scientific Visualization Studio. NOTE: All SeaWiFS images and data presented on this web site are for research and educational use only. All commercial use of SeaWiFS data must be coordinated with GeoEye (http://www.geoeye.com).


*Please note: the SVS does not fulfill requests for copies of the tapes in our library. On some of our animation pages, there is a direct link to a video distribution service from which tapes, handled by the Public Affairs Office (PAO)/Goddard TV, including some of our animations may be ordered. General information on this service can be found here.


Back to Top

USA.gov logo - the U.S. Government's official Web portal. + Privacy Policy and Important Notices
+ Reproduction Guidelines
NASA NASA Official:
SVS Contact:
Curator: