+ Visit NASA.gov + Advanced Search   + About the Server   + Animation List   + How to Use the Server   + RSS Feeds Previous Animation Next Animation SeaWiFS Biosphere Data over Australia The SeaWiFS instrument aboard the Seastar satellite has been collecting ocean data since 1997. 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. This animation represents nearly a decade's worth of data taken by the SeaWiFS instrument, showing the abundance of life in the sea. Dark blue represents warmer areas where there is little life due to lack of nutrients, and greens and reds represent cooler nutrient-rich areas. The nutrient-rich areas include coastal regions where cold water rises from the sea floor bringing nutrients along and areas at the mouths of rivers where the rivers have brought nutrients into the ocean from the land.    Animation depicting nearly a decades worth of SeaWiFS ocean chlorophyll concentration and land Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data. This animation begins by slowly spinning the earth around until settling over Australia. Duration: 2.6 minutes Available formats:   1280x720 (30 fps) MPEG-4   87 MB   1280x720 (60 fps) MPEG-4   91 MB   1280x720 (30 fps) MPEG-2   283 MB   512x288 (30 fps) MPEG-1   51 MB   1280x720 (30 fps) Frames (Australia Biosphere)   1280x720 (60 fps) Frames (Australia Biosphere)   320x180     PNG           246 KB   160x80       PNG           59 KB   80x40         PNG           15 KB How to play our movies    Animation depicting nearly a decades worth of SeaWiFS ocean chlorophyll concentration and land Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data. This animation begins by slowly spinning the earth around until settling over Australia. The first day of the eight day moving average is shown in this sequence. Duration: 2.6 minutes Available formats:   1280x720 (30 fps) MPEG-4   125 MB   1280x720 (60 fps) MPEG-4   129 MB   1280x720 (30 fps) MPEG-2   290 MB   512x288 (30 fps) MPEG-1   51 MB   1280x720 (30 fps) Frames (Australia Biosphere with dates)   1280x720 (60 fps) Frames (Australia Biosphere with dates)   320x180     PNG           248 KB How to play our movies Animation Number: 3494 Animator: Alex Kekesi (SVS) (Lead) Completed: 2007-11-22 Scientists: Gene Feldman (NASA/GSFC)   Mike Behrenfeld (Oregon State) Instrument: SeaStar/SeaWiFS Data set: Biosphere Data Collected: 08/29/1997 - 10/23/2006 Series: Ocean Productivity Keywords: DLESE >> Biology DLESE >> Chemical oceanography DLESE >> Ecology DLESE >> Environmental science SVS >> HDTV DLESE >> Hydrology DLESE >> Physical oceanography GCMD >> EARTH SCIENCE >> Biosphere GCMD >> EARTH SCIENCE >> Climate Indicators GCMD >> EARTH SCIENCE >> Biosphere >> Vegetation GCMD >> EARTH SCIENCE >> Biosphere >> Ecological Dynamics >> Food-web Dynamics GCMD >> EARTH SCIENCE >> Biosphere >> Microbiota >> Chlorophyll GCMD >> EARTH SCIENCE >> Biosphere >> Vegetation >> Chlorophyll GCMD >> EARTH SCIENCE >> Biosphere >> Vegetation >> Vegetation Index GCMD >> EARTH SCIENCE >> Hydrosphere >> Water Quality/Water Chemistry >> Chlorophyll GCMD >> EARTH SCIENCE >> Oceans >> Ocean Chemistry >> Chlorophyll     Please give credit for this item to NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio Data provided by: Norman Kuring (NASA/GSFC) Back to Top + Privacy Policy and Important Notices + Reproduction Guidelines NASA Official: SVS Contact: Curator: