Snowstorm on Planet Earth
Earth is an ocean planet.
From low Earth orbit, the
Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) instrument onboard
NASA's SeaStar spacecraft globally maps ocean color,
tracking changes in the climate and biosphere of our
water world.
Richly detailed
SeaWiFS images
can also follow color changes in Earth's landmasses
as illustrated in this close-up picture
of the planet.
Taken on January 27, it covers the Great Lakes region and
Atlantic coastal areas of the North American continent.
The space-based perspective
splendidly reveals the extent
of fractal white seasonal
solid phase H20
recently sprinkled over the Northeastern and Midatlantic
US.
Unanticipated and intense, the snowstorm delighted
school children
but caused serious disruptions in many locales.