Pacific Region Ocean Sciences  Research Activities

Satellite Imagery

SeaWiFS Satellite Images   

The on-line archive contains five images for each SeaWiFS pass which is received in an encrypted format. The decryption key is provided to the IOS receiving station with a three week delay.    All decrypted data are stored on CD. Reasonably cloud free scenes are selected and processed using NASA's SeaDAS software. An IDL procedure is used to extract the desired products and convert the raw data to geophysical values, from which the five images for each SeaWiFS scene are produced:

Examples of SEAWIFS images:

Some examples of SeaWifs images are provided below. Many more are available in our on-line archive.

dark	bright

An199803012239_L555_seaw.jpg

Water leaving radiance at 555 nm.

Anchorage, Alaska on March 1,1998 at 22:39 UTC .

An199808142256_L490_seaw.jpg

Water leaving radiance at 490 nm.

Anchorage, Alaska on August 14,1998 at 22:56 UTC .

VI199805282038_L490_seaw.jpg

Water leaving radiance at 490 nm.

Vancouver Island on May 28, 1998 at 20:38 UTC.

VI200006262227_chlo_seaw.jpg

Chlorophyll A concentration

Vancouver Island on June 26, 2000 at 22:27 UTC .

The Seawifs scanner is designed to image ocean colour patterns. The instrument has higher sensitivity and more spectral bands than the AVHRR.  Bands in blue (443 nm), green (555 nm) and red (670 nm) light have been combined to show the colours of blooms in the following three images. (not available in the archive)

Bering Sea on September 16,2000.

Vancouver Island on May 28,1998

(not available in the archive)

A bright patch in Lake Michigan may be due to phytoplankton or water chemistry. All three pictures were collected by the receiver at IOS, with the Bering Sea and Lake Michigan scenes at the west and east limits of reception. (not available in the archive)

Lake Michigan on September 28,2000

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