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Sea ice fills the mouth of the St. Lawrence River in this image, captured by the MODIS on the Aqua satellite on January 17, 2010. The St. Lawrence River carries water from the Great Lakes out into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and then into the Atlantic Ocean.
In this image, Quebec City is near the bottom left corner. The St. Lawrence River runs diagonally across the image. The Gulf of St. Lawrence is on the right side of the image. New Brunswick is at the bottom center as well as the very northern tip of Maine. The island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is Anticosti Island.
About MODIS:
MODIS (or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) is a key instrument aboard the Terra (EOS AM) and Aqua (EOS PM) satellites. Terra’s orbit around the Earth is timed so that it passes from north to south across the equator in the morning, while Aqua passes south to north over the equator in the afternoon. Terra MODIS and Aqua MODIS are viewing the entire Earth’s surface every 1 to 2 days, acquiring data in 36 spectral bands, or groups of wavelengths (see MODIS Technical Specifications). These data will improve our understanding of global dynamics and processes occurring on the land, in the oceans, and in the lower atmosphere. MODIS is playing a vital role in the development of validated, global, interactive Earth system models able to predict global change accurately enough to assist policy makers in making sound decisions concerning the protection of our environment.
Reference:
– NASA MODIS Web Site
