April 25, 2024

Exploring Earth From Space: Patagonia and the Falkland Islands

The Copernicus Sentinel-3 objective recorded this satellite view of Patagonia at the southern end of South America and the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). Tierra del Fuego, an island archipelago situated at the southern tip of Patagonia (the southernmost tip of the image), is shared by Argentina and Chile. The Falklands consist of 2 main islands, West Falkland and East Falkland, separated by the Falkland Sound– a channel that averages around 20 km (12 miles) in width.

Part of the Alberto de Agostini National Park can be seen at the bottom of the image. The park features an extremely irregular coastline, which is deeply indented by fjords. Considered a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the park has numerous tidewater glaciers and makes up the islands of Gordon, Cook, and Londonderry.
The Falkland Islands can be seen in the far right of the image. The islands lie in the South Atlantic Ocean, around 600 km (370 miles) east of Patagonia. The Falklands comprise 2 main islands, West Falkland and East Falkland, separated by the Falkland Sound– a channel that averages around 20 km (12 miles) in width.

These tiny organisms thrive in the cool, nutrient-rich waters between the coast of southern Argentina and the Falkland Islands.

(Click image for full view.) The Copernicus Sentinel-3 objective caught this satellite view of Patagonia at the southern end of South America and the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2022 ), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
This excellent, wide-angled view of Patagonia at the southern end of South America, in addition to the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) was caught by the European Space Agencys Copernicus Sentinel-3 objective.
Covering a location of around 673,000 sq km (260,000 sq miles), Patagonia is divided by Argentina and Chile. The region consists of the southern section of the Andes Mountains, with lakes, fjords, rain forests, and glaciers in the west and deserts and tablelands to the east.
Tierra del Fuego, an island archipelago located at the southern suggestion of Patagonia (the southernmost idea of the image), is shared by Argentina and Chile. The eastern part of the main island belongs to Argentina, and the southern point of the island chain, which forms Cape Horn, belongs to Chile. The Strait of Magellan, called after the innovator Ferdinand Magellan, lies in between Tierra del Fuego and mainland Argentina.

The swirling blue and green colored locations are densely focused phytoplankton blooms. These tiny organisms prosper in the cool, nutrient-rich waters in between the coast of southern Argentina and the Falkland Islands. Nutrients carried by rivers promote phytoplankton growth, which may explain the plankton hugging the South American shoreline in the image, along with dust carried from Patagonia offshore which is then diffused on the ocean surface area by strong westerly winds.
In spring and summer season, populations of algae in the South Atlantic frequently take off into massive flowers– which drift with the meandering ocean currents. Bring a suite of innovative instruments, Copernicus Sentinel-3 measures systematically Earths oceans, land, atmosphere, and ice to monitor and comprehend large-scale worldwide characteristics.
Sentinel-3 measures the temperature level, color, and height of the sea surface area as well as the thickness of sea ice, while over land maps land, supplies indices of plants state, and determines the height of lakes and rivers.
This image is likewise featured on the Earth From Space video program embedded above.