Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are right in the line of the sun glint off the Atlantic Ocean in this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite on August 20, 2002. The water around the islands must be very calm, because only when the water is calm is it possible to see the scan lines caused by minute differences in the two sides of MODIS’ scan mirror. Notice the "wake effect" the islands have on the atmosphere, with the air swirling in eddies behind them.

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Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published September 17, 2002
Data acquired August 20 - 20, 2002

Source:

Terra > MODIS

Topic:

Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Turbulence

Collection:

MODIS Rapid Response