NASA image acquired August 28, 2010
Late August 2010 provided a rare satellite view of a cloudless summer day over the entire Great Lakes region. North Americans trying to sneak in a Labor Day weekend getaway on the lakes were hoping for more of the same.
The Great Lakes comprise the largest collective body of fresh water on the planet, containing roughly 18 percent of Earth's supply. Only the polar ice caps contain more fresh water. The region around the Great Lakes basin is home to more than 10 percent of the population of the United States and 25 percent of the population of Canada.
Many of those people have tried to escape record heat this summer by visiting the lakes. What they found, according to The Hamilton Spectator, was record-breaking water temperatures fueled by record-breaking air temperatures in the spring and summer. By mid-August, the waters of Lake Superior were 6 to 8°C (11 to 14°F) above normal. Lake Michigan set records at about 4°C (7°F) above normal. The other three Great Lakes – Huron, Erie, and Ontario -- were above normal temperatures, though no records were set.
The image was gathered by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite at 1:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time (18:30 UTC) on August 28. Open water appears blue or nearly black. The pale blue and green swirls near the coasts are likely caused by algae or phytoplankton blooms, or by calcium carbonate (chalk) from the lake floor. The sweltering summer temperatures have produced an unprecedented bloom of toxic blue-green algae in western Lake Erie, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center. Caption by Mike Carlowicz.
Instrument: Aqua - MODIS
Click here to see more images from NASA Goddard’s Earth Observatory
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.
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gsikich1, raisinsawdust - (aka: withaneyephotography), Sara Spildener, _maara, and 96 other people added this photo to their favorites.
![Phytoplankton Bloom in the Barents Sea [Detail]](http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4110/4971318856_93be61dbaa_s.jpg)
raisinsawdust - (aka: withaneyephotography) 33 months ago | reply
Amazing
∙ мake it ғuиky ∙ 33 months ago | reply
:) very high definition! cool america
AnnWhit 33 months ago | reply
Splended,
Michele Cannone 33 months ago | reply
Bellissima! Un'impatto notevole. L'ho subito notata.
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Seen in my contacts' photos. (?)
sashacatgrl 33 months ago | reply
That's so cool!
thomasav 33 months ago | reply
Taken on my birthday. Perfect.
Chungking Express 33 months ago | reply
Hmm! If I peer closely at the full-size version of this, I think I can almost see myself! ;)
♥ Sunitinha ♥ 33 months ago | reply
Amazing! I can see my town from here!
Chucksterfun 33 months ago | reply
Whoohoo! I can see Kelley's Island on the original size. I loved camping at the state park.
ghis44free 33 months ago | reply
Simply splendid.
Ghislain
ByTheChesapeakeBay 33 months ago | reply
Cool shot!
monicaflick 33 months ago | reply
beautiful & fascinating
Elegant Cake Creations AZ 33 months ago | reply
Simply amazing!
Σταύρος 33 months ago | reply
Awesome stuff!
Chad McDonald 33 months ago | reply
Congrats on your Explore photo!
HisAndHerPhotographs.com 33 months ago | reply
Awesome image! ...and they say we have a shortage of trees? Hmmmm.....
EEKaWILL 33 months ago | reply
Gotta love the mitten
juandrobfreezer 27 months ago | reply
Really really wow!
farlane 25 months ago | reply
Hello! I blogged this photo to Earth Day, high above our piece of the Earth on Michigan in Pictures.
Feel welcome to share it (and any Michigan pics) in the Absolute Michigan pool!
ramsey49 3 months ago | reply
Life is Water - Sim Redmond Band.