NASA MODIS Image of the Day: March 9, 2012 – Southern Scandinavia
On March 2, 2012, the skies above southern Scandinavia were clear and cloud-free, allowing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite to capture this crisp and beautiful true-color image.
The image is a morning view, acquired at 08:00 UTC (9:00 a.
m. local time). Bright white snow cloaks Norway’s Scandinavian Mountains to the west. In the east, Sweden’s green lands are relatively lightly brushed with snow in the northern section, while the southern-most tip remains nearly snow free. Sweden’s Lake Vanern (west) and Lake Vattern (east), both appear ice-free, but the smaller lakes further north are icy-white. In the south of the image, a large stain of blue and green curls off the western coast of Denmark. This is likely due to a phytoplankton bloom, although some coloration may be due to sediment in the water, especially near the coast.
