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SECCHI App by secchidisk.org
Pixalytics has worked with Plymouth University to develop a Citizen Science project where seafarers are encouraged to collect information about the transparency of the sea that in turn can be used to help under phytoplankton variations… The data is collected using a Secchi disk and then uploaded to a database (hosted by Pixalytics on the site www.playingwithdata.com) via the SECCHI App from which it can be used for scientific research….
CNES/Spot Image/ESA
There are two major blooms of phytoplankton during the year, the first of these usually occurs between the months of March and May, and the second is usually between August and October. Most of the time the highest bloom is the spring bloom so between March and May.What causes these blooms of phytoplankton is the supply of light and nutrients. The reason the blooms occur in the spring is due to the sun warming the water, this creates a layer of warm water on the surface with cold water deeper down. There is hardly any mixing between these two layers. The phytoplankton then grow close to the surface in the warm water therefore exposing them to plenty of light and nutrients.
During the Autumn bloom between August and October the water temperature decreases. But a bloom is still present because as the water cools the density of the warm waters increase meaning a smaller difference in density between the surface and the depths. This allows some deep waters that are rich with nutrients to mix with the surface therefore providing nutrients for the phytoplankton to flourish, but equally important is the fact that there is still enough light for the phytoplankton to photosynthesis.
The basic definition of remote sensing is to acquire data without touching the object being studied. This is done by recording information using different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as ultraviolet, infrared and microwave. This data is obtained by visual and digital image processing using different equipment, the most common being; cameras, lasers and scanners.
What is ‘passive’ and ‘active’ remote sensing?
?Passive remote sensing? is the recording of the natural interaction between the object being studied and an electromagnetic radiation source, for example cameras use passive remote sensing.
But when the object being studied is affected by electromagnetic radiation emitted from the data collecting equipment this is called ‘active remote sensing’, an example of this would be when using radar.
for more infomation on remote sensing….
MERIS Envisat Image from 28 March 2012
The Envisat satellite sent its last data to earth on the 08 April 2012 after an onboard anomaly; still under investigation. Recent images taken from the ground and Pleiades satellite show it probably tried to enter safe mode, which would have been the first time, but failed to do so.
Since then communication has not been re-established and the European Space Agency (ESA) have informed the world that no new data will be acquired although communication attempts continue in the short-term. This is an unexpected, but not unsurprising, as the satellite has significantly exceeded its design life. In addition, it leaves behind a 10 year archive that will be worked on for the next 5+ years as Phase F of the mission.
This end to an era has been reported negatively (e.g. article in the Economist on the 12 May 2012), but can also be seen as the push that the future needs. The European Commission (EC) and ESA are developing the future GMES missions with first planned to be launched in 2013 assuming ongoing budgetary discussions are resolved.