Phytoplankton Bloom Southeast of Greenland

Swirling clouds of phytoplankton bloom in the northern Atlantic Ocean southeast of Greenland. Phytoplankton thrive in cold, nutrient-rich water, and when they multiply in significant numbers, the “clouds” they form can be seen from space, as shown here. This true-color Aqua MODIS image was acquired on July 6, 2003.

Greenland (Greenlandic: Kalaallit Nunaat, pronounced [kalaːɬit nunaːt]; Danish: Grønland, pronounced  is the world’s largest island, located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe (specifically Norway and Denmark, the colonial powers, as well as the nearby island of Iceland) for more than a millennium. The majority of its residents are Inuit, whose ancestors migrated from Alaska through Northern Canada, gradually settling across the island by the 13th century.Nowadays the population is largely concentrated on the southwest coast of the island while the rest of the island is sparsely populated. Greenland is divided into five municipalities — Sermersooq, Kujalleq, Qeqertalik, Qeqqata, and Avannaata. It has two unincorporated areas — the Northeast Greenland National Park and the Thule Air Base. The last one, even if under Danish control, is administered by the United States Air Force.

Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC