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NASA’S INCREDIBLE SATELLITE IMAGING REVEALS THE MOST TRAVELED

Photos taken from space help us better understand things that happen on land. They depict land masses like mountain ranges, the intersections of various ecosystems, and even the gradual growth of urban populations. However, have you ever thought about how satellite imagery can also aid in our understanding of the oceans on Earth?


About 71% of Earth is made up of oceans, with the remaining 29% being land. There is no denying that a large portion of the world's seas remain mysterious, but a NASA initiative might help us learn a little bit more about what goes on beneath the surface.


The most trafficked underwater roadways on Earth are plotted out in an ocean current visualisation model developed by NASA's Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECOO) Group. The model, which uses information from buoys, spacecraft, and other devices, closely mimics Vincent van Gogh's well-known impasto technique, which is captured in Starry Night.


In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, this visualisation highlights the significance of Earth's oceans in establishing the circumstances necessary for life to flourish. Ocean currents run on both horizontal and vertical axes and serve as underwater roadways. Ocean currents carry heat, nutrients, and carbon around the Earth because of this two-way movement. These underwater roadways essentially control the climate of the planet and sustain marine organisms.

According to James Riordon's essay for NASA, "western boundary currents can generate vertical movements in the oceans known as upwellings, in addition to altering global weather patterns and temperatures."The flows bring nutrients up from the depths to the surface, where they act as fertiliser for phytoplankton, algae, and aquatic plants.” A prime example of this happens near the Kuroshio Current of Japan. Upwelling that occurs there supports robust local marine ecosystems, which support Japan’s fishing industry.


Heat is transferred from the planet's equator to its poles by the oceanic current patterns, which come together to form a "conveyor belt." It directly affects local and distant regional climates. Consider the United States and the Gulf Stream. Temperatures along the Eastern Coast of the United States are moderated by this specific current. It is also crucial for the climate of sections of Africa and Europe, as without it, droughts would be more severe in the latter and winters in the former would be much colder.


If you have observed any of the recent hurricanes that have hit the United States, you may have noticed that occasionally they also appear to follow the route of these underwater roadways. The existing exchange of the underwater highway systems is slowing down due to climate change and the growing amount of freshwater added by melting polar ice caps.


These underwater highways could collapse, according to researchers, if currents keep slowing down. The distribution of heat on Earth, the support of marine ecosystems, and the disruption of weather patterns would all be significantly impacted by such a collapse. As we appreciate the beauty of this ocean visualisation model and Earth’s underwater highways, we must remember how delicate these systems that sustain life are, and the consequences we may face if they become altered beyond repair.

Article Tags: Viral Science Space NASA

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