SPACEPHOTOS

This image was made from data collected during the month of May 2001. The LSR portion of the image is made from data collected at three wavelengths: 645 nm (red), 555 nm (green), and 469 nm (blue). This combination is similar to what our eyes would see. Combined with the land surface data are satellite's measurements of SST in May, using detectors that capture thermal radiation at 4.0 µm, a design innovation that improves measurements in moist areas, such as the tropics, where persistent clouds often interfere with satellite measurements of SST. Large-scale temperature patterns are apparent, such as the Gulf Stream off the east coast of the United States, and the Kuroshio Circulation southeast of Japan