North Atlantic Productivity
The annual phytoplankton growth cycle in the North Atlantic basin as shown in
this series of monthly climatology composites (top panel: January - June,
bottom panel: July - December), begins with the spring bloom at mid-latitudes in
the western Atlantic and appears to propagate east and northward as the season
progresses, reaching a peak in mid to late Summer. Other seasonal features
revealed by this time-series of images are the offshore movement of the Amazon
plume during fall and the effects of equatorial upwelling in late summer and
fall. Note also the rich waters of the wind-driven upwelling system off
northwest Africa. The strong color signature in the North Sea throughout the
year may be more a result of suspended sediment and dissolved organic substances
than phytoplankton pigment.
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Atmos Composition
